Chapter 655: I’m Back……

"Who... who are you... why are you attacking my Divine Phoenix Army..."

As the Commander-in-Chief of the Divine Phoenix Army, Qi Zhencang had witnessed countless grand spectacles in his life. Even when facing the monarchs of powerful nations like Canglan and Heisha, he would hold his head high, his roars shaking the heavens. Yet, the voice he now bellowed was laced with an uncontrollable tremor. Especially the last few words, he could even hear his own teeth chattering.

While the aura of profound energy was undoubtedly terrifying, what made him tremble even more was the overwhelming, almost sky-obscuring, breath of fury. Under this rage, the vast battlefield seemed to be enveloped by a massive, pitch-black cauldron... He was certain that even thousands of desperate jackals couldn't release such a horrifying aura... and it was emanating from a single person! His sole appearance instantly transformed the vast battlefield into a chilling silence, like the Nine Nether Abyss itself.

Rage boiled furiously within Yun Che. Every cell in his body felt on the verge of exploding. He had come filled with longing, joy, and eagerness, believing he would soon reunite with those he had worried about day and night... He never imagined that what awaited him would be his homeland, trampled and scarred beyond recognition! This was Yun Che's second complete loss of emotional control on the Profound Sky Continent... The first time was when Xiao Lie and Xiao Lingxi were abducted by the Burning Heaven Clan. This time, it was even more intense! His fury, mixed with flames, burned fiercely, tinting even the world he saw with a deep crimson hue.

From afar, Qi Zhencang's voice reached him. The flames around Yun Che flickered violently, and he plummeted from the sky, descending directly into the vanguard of the Divine Phoenix Army.

Boom!!!!

The ground for dozens of miles around trembled violently. The flames surrounding Yun Che, accompanied by an incredibly powerful profound energy storm, erupted outwards. Countless Divine Phoenix soldiers were sent sprawling to the ground amidst terrified howls, and the cavalry's mounts let out cries of fright. When they scrambled to their feet and looked at the figure that had descended from the sky, everyone's pupils dilated to the point of nearly bursting... Because they were witnessing the most terrifying sight of their lives.

The ground for over a dozen miles was severely fractured, with countless cracks radiating outwards from Yun Che's feet. The longest extended to the very edge of their sight, wide enough to be several feet across. In the thousand-foot radius around him, the previously dense Divine Phoenix Army had completely vanished. Even the heavily piled corpses had disappeared without a trace... Following this, fragments of armor and body parts rained down from the sky, showering a true downpour of blood!

"You... all... will... die!!"

Innumerable Divine Phoenix soldiers trembled and collapsed in extreme shock and fear. Hundreds of thousands of their comrades could not provide them with even a sliver of security. The voice that echoed in their ears... sounded as if it didn't belong to a human at all, but rather the death curse of a grim reaper.

"This is... the power of an Emperor!" Feng Feiheng stammered, unable to comprehend how an Emperor could appear on the land of the Azure Wind Nation. His aura and all his actions clearly aligned him with the Azure Wind Nation... How could the small Azure Wind Nation, whose peak profound realm was the Monarch, possibly have an Emperor as a backer—or rather, why would a transcendent existence like an Emperor, who disdained the entire world, deign to help a tiny Azure Wind Nation!

"What? Empe... Emperor!?" Feng Feiheng's words caused Qi Zhencang and Duan Qinghang to pale simultaneously. Although both of them were Monarchs, they clearly understood the concept of "Emperor"! Feng Hengkong, the Sect Master of their Divine Phoenix Nation's Divine Phoenix Sect, was only at the peak of the Tyrant Emperor realm. All fifty-six elders were also mid to late-stage Tyrant Emperors... Within the entire Divine Phoenix Sect, only among the Grand Sect Master and Grand Elder generations were there a limited dozen or so Emperors. These individuals were the true cornerstones of the Divine Phoenix Sect, transcendent beings who rarely showed themselves, and even Feng Hengkong would treat them with utmost respect. A million Divine Phoenix soldiers were enough to sweep across Azure Wind, but before a true Emperor, they were no different from a million ants.

"Commander Qi, what do we do... if he truly is an Emperor..." Duan Qinghang stammered. He had spent most of his life on battlefields and would never panic even when facing enemy forces ten times his own. But if the person before them was indeed an Emperor, then it was simply not something an "army" could contend with! Because at that supreme realm, which overlooked the heavens... concepts like numbers, armaments, formations, morale, and stratagems were all nothing but futile jokes.

"Impossible... absolutely impossible! How could a tiny Azure Wind Nation have an Emperor helping them!" Feng Feiheng gritted his teeth and said, "Let me go and..." Feng Feiheng's voice abruptly cut off. As the flames around Yun Che dissipated and the sky-high blood rain ceased, he saw Yun Che's face clearly... In an instant, his pupils sharply contracted, and he bellowed in disbelief, "Yun... Yun Che!!"

While Qi Zhencang and Duan Qinghang had heard Yun Che's name many times, they had never seen him. But Feng Feiheng, as an elder of the Divine Phoenix Sect, had naturally been present at the Seven Nations Ranking Tournament three years ago... Anyone who had personally witnessed that tournament could never forget Yun Che's face. As Feng Feiheng cried out Yun Che's name in shock, Cang Yue's gaze, fixed on Yun Che's back, had already become vacant. Her eyes trembled, her lips quivered, yet no sound escaped them. Dazed, she stretched out an arm towards Yun Che, her feet involuntarily wanting to move closer, but her vision grew increasingly blurry, and all strength silently drained from her body, causing her to slowly collapse...

"Your Majesty!" Dongfang Xiu and Qin Wushang hastily moved to support her, but suddenly, a golden blur flashed before their eyes. An incredibly violent aura surged forth, catching them off guard and making them stumble backward, nearly falling. The collapsing Cang Yue was already embraced by a gold-robed man. They stared at the person holding Cang Yue, their eyes simultaneously widening to their absolute limit.

"Yun... Yun Che!?"

"Is that really you!?"

Yun Che held Cang Yue in his arms, and the rage that had been on the verge of spiraling out of control was enveloped by a deep warmth and satisfaction, slowly subsiding. He had been facing away from her, but the moment she began to fall, it was as if a voice called out in his heart, making him instinctively turn and rush to her side.

"Yue'er..." Holding her frail body, much thinner than three years ago, his heart ached. He was unsure whether to feel resentment or gratitude. He resented the calamity that had befallen the Azure Wind Nation, the heavy burden of three years under the threat of national annihilation, which had weighed entirely upon her. He was grateful that he had managed to return at this final moment and could still hold her in his arms like this. If he had returned even a little later... he dared not imagine the consequences.

Cang Yue's eyes were hazy, misted over, as she stared blankly at Yun Che, who was so close. At this moment, she had none of her usual dignity or resolve, only a heartbreaking vulnerability. Her lips moved softly, her voice a dreamlike murmur: "Hus...band...is it really...you..."

"It's me! It's me!" Yun Che nodded frantically, "I'm back..."

"Am I... dreaming..."

"Of course not!" Yun Che quickly took Cang Yue's hand and pressed it to his face, letting her feel his body's warmth. "I'm right here, completely and entirely here... Look closely at me, this isn't a dream. I didn't die... I was never dead... My Yue'er was still waiting for me to come back, how could I bear to die..."

The warm temperature, the figure and aura she had yearned for in her dreams—Cang Yue's tears streamed down. At this moment, the Divine Phoenix, the war, the fall of their nation, her resolve, her resentment... everything became insignificant. The dreamlike figure who had returned to her side completely filled her heart and soul. She greedily touched Yun Che's face, her gaze hazy, her voice like a whisper from a dream: "My Junior Brother Yun... My husband didn't die... That's wonderful... So wonderful..." She murmured softly, crying, her arms slowly falling, her eyes gradually closing... Under the immense emotional shock, she peacefully fainted in Yun Che's embrace, only the tears at the corners of her eyes still silently tracing paths down her cheeks.

Yun Che gently placed his palm on her chest, slowly infusing a stream of Heaven and Earth Aura into her body. Her internal energy was incredibly weak, and Yun Che could imagine that she might not have slept for several days and nights.

"Yue'er, rest well... Leave everything else to me," Yun Che murmured softly. Holding Cang Yue, he slowly stood up, turning to face Dongfang Xiu and Qin Wushang, whose faces were completely flushed. He bowed slightly and said, "Palace Master Dongfang, Palace Master Qin, thank you for protecting my Yue'er... You've worked hard during this time."

"This is... our duty," Dongfang Xiu replied, his emotions turbulent as he looked at Yun Che. Three years ago, Yun Che had supposedly perished in the Primordial Profound Ark, with no chance of survival. The Azure Wind Nation had lost its Imperial Son-in-Law and its most brilliant prodigy in history. But... he had returned alive! And his power had grown far beyond "earth-shattering" levels! He dared not speculate on Yun Che's current strength, but to annihilate an elder-level figure of the Divine Phoenix Sect in just a few breaths—the Yun Che standing before him now... this young man who once made a name for himself in the Azure Wind Profound Palace, had reached a profound energy level that left Dongfang Xiu unable to even look up to him.

"It's good that you're back, it's good that you're back," Qin Wushang nodded vigorously, so overcome with emotion that he didn't know what else to say.

Xiao Yun and others descended from the sky, landing behind Yun Che. Yun Che gently placed Cang Yue, who was in his arms, into the arms of Number Seven Under Heaven. "Seventh Sister, please protect her for me. She is my wife."

Number Seven Under Heaven nodded solemnly, "Don't worry, Big Brother Yun. Unless I die, no one will get close to her."

"Mm." Yun Che nodded slightly, his face devoid of joy or sorrow, a calmness that was unsettling. His gaze shifted to Xiao Yun, and he suddenly asked, "Xiao Yun, have you ever killed anyone?"

"Huh?" Xiao Yun was startled, then shook his head, "No... no."

Yun Che turned around, and as he looked at the dense Divine Phoenix Army to the north, rage and killing intent once again surged wildly in his eyes. "If you want to grow into a true man, then starting today, let your hands be stained with the blood of your enemies!!"

As his voice fell, Yun Che's body shot forward, carrying endless resentment as he charged towards the Divine Phoenix Army that had driven the entire Azure Wind Nation into a chasm of despair.

Xiao Yun stood there, momentarily lost and at a loss for what to do.

"Although our Elf Race despises slaughter and war the most," Number One Under Heaven slowly began, "today, if I were you, I would drench my entire body in the blood of these people... Look closely at this land, which was once peaceful, now trampled by enemies and stained by the blood of its own people... a land scarred and riddled with holes, millions buried... For enemies so unforgivable and devoid of humanity, pity and mercy are not just cheap, but foolish!"

"Don't forget, this isn't just Yun Che's homeland... it's also your homeland!"

Xiao Yun: "!!!!"