Chapter 682: Appointment to Duel

"Demonic Origin? What's that?"

"You should first think about how to deal with the current situation! This person's murderous intent towards you is incredibly strong! Hmph, if you don't cut the grass by the roots, trouble will surely follow! I never imagined such a huge consequence!" Jasmine said coldly.

"Big Brother, this person is—"

"Don't come any closer!" Yun Che abruptly thrust his hand back, sending out a wave of energy that forcibly pushed away Xiao Yun and Tianxia No. 7, who were rushing towards him. With his other hand, he pulled Xiao Lingxi behind him, holding her securely.

"Do you think I'm still that good-for-nothing from back then!" Fen Juechen's gaze and tone were incredibly sinister and low. He raised his hands, wreathed in black mist, and a chilling aura, causing hearts to palpitate, spread through the space. Even the light visibly dimmed. "Don't worry, I won't kill you immediately. I'll make you suffer all the pain I've endured these past years!!"

Fen Juechen's eyes suddenly emitted black light deeper than the night itself. He thrust his arm forward, and a ball of black mist shot directly towards Yun Che's throat.

The light before Yun Che's eyes rapidly faded. Before the chilling aura even drew near, it had already seeped into his bones. He had never witnessed such profound energy or aura in either of his lives. When he fought Hui Ye in the Illusory Demon Realm, his Corrupted Demonic Flame also carried a sinister aura, but in terms of purity and intensity, it simply could not compare to the power before him!

What exactly did this Fen Juechen experience all these years?!

Yun Che raised his arm, Phoenix Flame instantly ignited, preparing to strike the oncoming chilling black mist. But then, with a hurried cry, Xiao Lingxi suddenly rushed from behind him, spreading her arms to shield him.

"No!!"

"!!" Xiao Lingxi's sudden action startled Yun Che. He pulled her into an embrace, extinguishing his Phoenix Flame, and all his gathered profound energy hastily shifted to defense.

"Sky Cloud Locking Sun!!"

It wasn't just Yun Che whose expression changed; Fen Juechen's face also suddenly contorted. He rapidly twisted his outstretched arm, forcibly retracting most of the black profound energy that was rushing towards Yun Che. The remaining small portion struck the Heretic God barrier in front of Yun Che.

*Hiss!!*

The colorless Heretic God barrier was instantly stained black. After a breath, the dark aura was completely dispelled, but several fist-sized holes had appeared on the Heretic God barrier.

This sight secretly shocked Yun Che. The dark aura just now was clearly a casual strike from Fen Juechen, yet it had so easily broken his Sky Cloud Locking Sun! As a defensive barrier formed by the Heretic God's power, Sky Cloud Locking Sun usually shattered completely when it could no longer hold. Yet, now it hadn't collapsed, but had been eroded with numerous holes!

That dark profound energy possessed such terrifying erosive power! Was this one of the dreadful characteristics of demonic profound energy that Jasmine spoke of?!

Fen Juechen's shock was no less than Yun Che's. He knew best how terrifying his current power was. The aura emanating from Yun Che was that of the King Profound Realm. Although such progress in just a few years was astonishing, a mere Monarch was no different from a lowly ant in his eyes. Destroying him would be but a flick of his hand!

Yet, the power he had unleashed just now, in a moment of emotional loss, would be incredibly difficult even for a Tyrant Emperor to withstand, but Yun Che had completely blocked it—and Yun Che had clearly used strength that was hastily converted from offense to defense!

This fleeting surprise quickly vanished from his mind. His gaze was fixed not on Yun Che, but on Xiao Lingxi. Upon confirming she was unharmed, his aura slightly calmed, then became even more severe.

"Aunt, are you okay?" Yun Che quickly pulled Xiao Lingxi behind him. Xiao Lingxi shook her head, grabbing his hand with her other arm, and anxiously said, "I'm fine, Xiaoche. You must leave! Hurry! He's not the Fen Juechen from back then anymore. He's become incredibly powerful now; you can't possibly defeat him. You have to leave! Otherwise, he'll—he'll kill you. Hurry and go!!"

"Yun Che! You've finally fallen into my hands! I will ensure you die without a burial place!!" Seeing Xiao Lingxi's desperate attempt to protect him, Fen Juechen's eyes blazed with even more frantic hatred. The black mist around him suddenly swelled, instantly darkening the sky and earth. The air completely ceased to flow, and the atmosphere became as grim as if they had suddenly plunged into the Nine Nether Purgatory.

"What—what is this?" Xiao Yun exclaimed, tightly shielding Tianxia No. 7. The world before them rapidly grew dim, and light seemed to be rapidly devoured by something. Even though he grew up in the highest-level Demon Emperor City in the Illusory Demon Realm, he had never witnessed such a strange phenomenon.

"No!!" Xiao Lingxi cried out, turning around and spreading her arms in front of Yun Che. She looked at Fen Juechen, whose body was enveloped in rising black mist, her trembling eyes filled with deep pleading. "Brother Fen, please, please don't kill him!"

"I must kill him!" Fen Juechen roared, "He repeatedly trampled my head and my dignity underfoot! He killed my father, killed my grandfather, killed my master—he killed *all* my clansmen! All of them! How can I not avenge this monstrous hatred, this ocean of enmity? I can choose not to kill an innocent person, but he must die by my hand!!"

"Brother Fen..." Xiao Lingxi slowly shook her head, her voice imbued with deeper pleading. "Although everyone fears you, I've always known that you're not a villain who enjoys wantonly killing innocents. Instead, you're a very good person with a kind heart. You not only saved me, but you also saved everyone in Flowing Cloud City. But why can't you let go of all this hatred and free yourself? Don't you get tired and suffer from constantly bearing this hatred?"

"Tired? Suffering? What do those even matter..." Fen Juechen's voice became chilling and hoarse. "It's because of him that I became what I am today! To gain the power to kill him and exact my revenge, I endured pain you could never imagine!! Even now, I am constantly enduring immense suffering! This pain, every single moment, reminds me never to forget my hatred!"

Yun Che was silent.

Fen Juechen slowly extended his palm. In its center was a pitch-black vortex, as deep as a black hole. "I told you, I will never refuse anything you say! As long as it's your request, even if it means death, I will not hesitate! But no one can stop my revenge!"

The pitch-black vortex seemed capable of sucking away one's very soul. Even a powerful profound practitioner would feel a tremor from their soul just by gazing at it. Yet, Xiao Lingxi remained firmly in front of Yun Che. The plea in her eyes slowly vanished, replaced by a heavy resolve. "Xiaoche killed your entire clan, and the root cause was me! If you want to kill Xiaoche, then kill me first."

Fen Juechen's chest heaved violently, and his outstretched arm trembled slightly. "No... none of this has anything to do with you. I won't kill you. I would rather kill myself than harm you. I only ask that you stop preventing me from killing Yun Che! You should know your power cannot possibly stop me."

"I truly cannot stop you," Xiao Lingxi's gaze remained firm and resolute. "But if you really kill Xiaoche, I will hate you for my entire life! I will never forgive you!"

Fen Juechen froze. The dark aura suddenly stagnated for a moment, then his pupils, arms, and entire body suddenly began to tremble slightly. The dark aura resumed its chaotic oscillation, and the hatred in his eyes was replaced by a deep agony.

No one could comprehend the profound impact Xiao Lingxi's few simple words had on his soul.

And no one knew why he, who had come to Flowing Cloud City for revenge, had chosen to remain there, never leaving for a single day.

Furthermore, no one knew why he, who was originally willing to endure several times the pain and absorb the Demonic Origin as quickly as possible for revenge, had continuously slowed down the rate of absorption after arriving in Flowing Cloud City.

Because she was the only warmth, the only light in his world filled with gloom. Unconsciously, she had perhaps become more important than his bone-chilling hatred—at least far more important than his own life.

"Hmm?" Yun Che, who had been observing Fen Juechen with a cold gaze, shifted his eyes, a look of surprise on his face. This was because Fen Juechen's intensely chilling aura had suddenly become chaotic. His eyes and expression twisted with exceptional pain, and even the cold killing intent that had been locked onto Yun Che was rapidly dissipating amidst the confusion.

*Pfft...* Fen Juechen's face suddenly turned pale, and a mouthful of dark red blood rapidly spurted from his mouth, spraying a large mist of dark blood.

"Ah!" Xiao Lingxi exclaimed, bewildered.

"What's happening?" Yun Che frowned deeply, asking Jasmine, "You just said his demonic profound energy wasn't born from his own will. Could his power have suddenly gone out of control?"

"No!" Jasmine said quietly, "His profound energy is attacking his heart. Hmph, it seems his soul was deeply provoked—an extreme provocation for him."

"Yun Che!!" Fen Juechen suddenly looked up, his gaze fiercely fixed on Yun Che. His face, stained with dark red blood, was pale and distorted. He uttered two words, filled with surging resentment and killing intent far greater than before.

Yun Che gently pushed Xiao Lingxi behind him, then slowly walked towards Fen Juechen.

"Xiaoche!!" Xiao Lingxi quickly grabbed Yun Che's arm. "Don't go over there! He—"

"Don't worry," Yun Che smiled, taking her hand that was gripping his shoulder, and glanced at her deeply. "The animosity between him and me cannot be resolved, nor can it be appeased. As long as I live, it's destined to be unavoidable. The only way is to face it directly."

"But..."

"Don't worry, Aunt. He's indeed no longer the Fen Juechen from back then, but I'm also no longer the Yun Che from back then. It won't be as easy for him to kill me as he thinks."

After Yun Che finished speaking, he didn't take another step forward. Instead, he looked up at Fen Juechen and said calmly, "Fen Juechen, you dream of killing me, and I also wish to quickly resolve this sudden trouble you've become, to avoid future complications. However, the timing doesn't seem right today. For me, I have many important matters to attend to right now and no time to waste on you. As for you..." Yun Che smiled faintly with deep meaning, "With my aunt protecting me, it seems rather difficult for you to kill me."

Fen Juechen's eyes widened instantly, and the black mist around his body churned violently. But before he could speak, Yun Che's expression and voice suddenly deepened. He extended his right hand, pointing east. "However, the animosity between us must be resolved! And it can only be resolved by the two of us! Three months from now, at noon, above the East Sea, three hundred miles to the east, you and I will decide life or death!!"

"At that time, I will go alone, bringing no one else! As for you..." Yun Che's eyes narrowed slightly, "If you're afraid of being eternally buried in the East Sea, bring as many helpers as you wish!"

Their gazes clashed in the frozen air—one filled with boundless hatred, the other as calm as still water. Suddenly, a profoundly deep black light burst from Fen Juechen, plunging everyone's vision into momentary absolute darkness. After the darkness receded, Fen Juechen's figure had completely vanished from sight, and his aura had also completely dissipated without a trace.

Yun Che slowly lowered his arm, secretly sighing with relief, but his brows remained tightly furrowed.

In the two days since returning from the Illusory Demon Realm, various troubles had emerged one after another, each greater than the last. He truly hadn't expected Fen Juechen, whom he had let go and quickly forgotten, to reappear before him in such an astonishing manner.

"Indeed, if you don't cut the grass by the roots, trouble will surely follow!" Yun Che rubbed his forehead, groaning inwardly.