Chapter 700: Destroying the Phoenix Statue

"Yun... Yun Che!?" Even though this name had been fallen for three years, it still resonated like thunder in the ears of the Phoenix disciples. The guard disciple on the right instantly realized why the face in front of him was so familiar... Three years ago, during the Seven Nations Ranking Tournament, he had been one of the guards, right by the main gate!

After their initial shock, the two guard disciples' arrogance showed no signs of diminishing... This was Phoenix City, after all, and they were Phoenix disciples with Phoenix blood, the most noble and supreme beings among the Seven Nations. Let alone Yun Che, even if the emperors of the other six nations came in person, they might not be polite.

"Didn't Yun Che die three years ago? Could this be an impostor?"

"Impostor or not, he dares to demand an audience with the Sect Master right away? Tsk tsk, where do you get such nerve?"

"Could it be that he's here to beg for mercy for the soon-to-be-destroyed Azure Wind Nation? Heh heh..." The two guard disciples exchanged glances, then burst into laughter.

"Heh heh," Yun Che also chuckled, "Never mind, you don't need to announce me. It's a waste of time. I'll just call him out myself."

With a sneer, Yun Che took a step forward, and his entire body suddenly ignited with crimson flames tinged with faint gold. The instant the Golden Crow Flame flared, the two Phoenix disciples' wild laughter stopped. Their Phoenix robes suddenly caught fire, rapidly spreading over their entire bodies, causing them to retreat frantically, letting out painful roars.

Boom!! The Golden Crow Flame surged forward, exploding with a deafening roar. A pillar of flame shot skyward, reaching a hundred zhang high. With an earth-shattering crash that echoed throughout the entire Divine Phoenix City, the Phoenix City's main gate, which had stood for five thousand years and symbolized the glory and might of the Divine Phoenix Sect, along with the Phoenix Divine Statue, crumbled and shattered into pieces...

Inside the Grand Phoenix Hall, all the core figures of the Divine Phoenix Sect's current generation were gathered. Of the fifty-six Phoenix Elders, all were present except for the deceased former Grand Elder Feng Feiyan, Elder Nineteen Feng Feiheng, Elder Forty-three Feng Feiying, Elder Fifty-two Feng Hengjiang, and the two Elders currently overseeing the Azure Wind Nation. There were exactly fifty Elders, not one less.

Given the absolute power of the Divine Phoenix Sect among the Seven Nations, for thousands of years, all Elder-level figures had died of old age, never falling by another's hand. Feng Feiyan's death was well-deserved and could be disregarded. Yet now, in a single day, the soul crystals of three Elders had shattered consecutively, resulting in their deaths in Azure Wind. Such an event was unprecedented in Divine Phoenix history. No one had ever imagined that Phoenix Elders, possessing profound energy at or above the Mid-Tyrant stage, making them invincible in the other six nations, would meet their demise merely as overseers for an invasion of the small Azure Wind Nation.

Consequently, the atmosphere of this Elder Council meeting was somber from the start. Surprisingly, however, the main topic Feng Hengkong discussed was not the deaths of the three Elders, but rather one person's "resurrection"...

Yun Che!!

This included his current profound energy, which had surged to a level capable of killing Feng Huwei, and the words he spoke yesterday through Feng Huwei's dying soul imprint... as well as the speculation that he might be the culprit responsible for the disappearance of hundreds of thousands of Divine Phoenix troops.

The Elders of the Divine Phoenix Sect naturally knew Yun Che's name. His return from the vanished Primordial Profound Ark indeed shocked them all. However, as they gradually realized that Feng Hengkong's core purpose for convening this Elder Council was how to deal with Yun Che, even proposing to invite a Grand Elder to personally travel to the Azure Wind Nation to kill him, all the Elders showed deep surprise and confusion... While Yun Che's "resurrection" was indeed bizarre, his ability to kill Feng Huwei and the advancement of his profound energy were astonishing. As the Azure Wind's Imperial Son-in-law, his claim to retaliate against the Divine Phoenix Nation was entirely unsurprising... But for just one Yun Che, even if his current strength were ten times greater than conjectured, what right or ability did he have to warrant such a large-scale mobilization from the Divine Phoenix Sect... What qualified him to make a Grand Elder personally intervene?

It wasn't until Feng Hengkong brought up the matter of Feng Xue'er that they suddenly understood.

As the Divine Phoenix Sect's future Phoenix Goddess, any matter concerning Feng Xue'er, no matter how small, was of paramount importance to the Divine Phoenix Sect and absolutely could not be neglected! If she truly valued Yun Che to such an extent... then, given the current situation between the Divine Phoenix Nation and the Azure Wind Nation, and Yun Che's attitude since his return, Yun Che absolutely had to die as quickly as possible!!

Thus, to ensure absolute certainty, even if involving a Grand Elder felt like using an ox cleaver to kill a chicken, it was a necessary choice given Princess Xue's involvement.

Just then, a tremendous roar came from outside, like a lightning bolt striking from the heavens, shaking the entire hall violently.

"What's happening!?" Feng Hengkong and all the Elders instantly rose. A flash of fire, and Divine Phoenix Crown Prince Feng Ximing rushed in from outside the hall, urgently exclaiming, "Father Emperor, we're under attack! The Phoenix City Gate... along with the Phoenix Divine Statue, has been directly destroyed!!"

"What!?" Feng Hengkong's expression changed drastically, and all the Elders were equally stunned. Though the earlier roar was deafening, despite their surprise, their faces had remained calm, no one panicked, because they were the Divine Phoenix Sect; no one would dare cause trouble on their territory. It was likely some accident, and even if it weren't, it would be an act of seeking death... But the city gate, and even the Phoenix Divine Statue symbolizing Phoenix might, destroyed... This was not just causing trouble, it was utterly trampling on the Divine Phoenix Sect's bottom line!

Feng Hengkong took the lead, instantly rushing out of the Grand Phoenix Hall. The Elders followed closely, and when they looked towards the city gate, their expressions all turned grim...

The Phoenix City Gate had stood for a full five thousand years, and the Phoenix Divine Statue atop it was the very emblem of their Divine Phoenix Sect. Every seven days, a Phoenix Elder would personally infuse it with Phoenix flame energy. In every corner of Divine Phoenix City, one could see the eternal Phoenix fire light and Phoenix might radiating from the Divine Statue. It was not merely a statue; it represented the Divine Phoenix Sect's five thousand years of majesty and pride!

From afar, ordinary people would feel an irresistible deterrence from the Phoenix Divine Statue, becoming cautious even in their steps. Even those from the Four Great Sacred Grounds would never dare to show disrespect in front of the Phoenix Divine Statue...

But now, what they saw was the hundred-zhang Phoenix Divine Statue collapsing from high in the sky... shattering, then crashing to the ground with a mighty "boom," turning into a crimson ruin amidst flames, along with the city gate.

The collapse of the Phoenix Divine Statue was clearly visible from anywhere in Divine Phoenix City, even its nearby suburbs, and it undoubtedly caused an uproar and commotion throughout the entire city. Nearly everyone stopped in their tracks or rushed out of their homes, staring in shock towards the direction of Phoenix City.

"Who... who did this!!" Feng Hengkong's hair stood on end, and a volcanic rage erupted from his entire body. During his reign, the Phoenix Divine Statue had been destroyed... What an intolerable disgrace!! Whoever the culprit was, this act alone made them, and everything associated with them, an absolute mortal enemy of the Divine Phoenix Sect... a battle to the death!!

"To dare desecrate our sect's divine spirit... to touch our sect's reverse scale!! Unforgivable!" Phoenix Second Elder Feng Feiran said with a trembling voice.

"I will personally tear him to shreds!"

Boom!!

Feng Hengkong transformed into a streak of fire, shooting directly towards the Phoenix City Gate. As he flew, he created a thunderous sonic boom, indicating the intense level of rage within him.

All the Phoenix Elders followed immediately. Fifty Phoenix Elders deploying alongside the Phoenix Sect Master was virtually unprecedented in the Divine Phoenix Sect's long history. Moreover, the destruction of the city gate and the collapse of the Phoenix Divine Statue was akin to dropping a thunderous bomb on the entire Divine Phoenix Sect. All princes, hall masters, palace masters, deacons, and disciples of all ranks were terrified out of their wits. They dropped whatever important tasks they were holding, disregarding all discipline and regulations, and frantically rushed towards the city gate in sheer horror.

In an instant, the entire Divine Phoenix City was enveloped by an aura of chaos, rage, and feverish intensity. The skies above were densely packed with people, like a swarm of locusts.

The Phoenix City Gate... well, there was no gate now, only a ruin dozens of zhang high. The Phoenix flame energy within the Phoenix Divine Statue also completely dispersed with its collapse, transforming into large crimson flames, but soon, even these flames gradually faded.

In front of the ruins, the two fortunate Phoenix guard disciples lay collapsed on the ground. Their pupils were dilated, their legs trembled violently, and their faces were devoid of color, as terrified as if they had just woken from a nightmare. They had even completely forgotten the pain of the Golden Crow Flame burns on their bodies.

The firelight and dust quickly settled, gradually revealing the figure standing atop the ruins. Feng Hengkong arrived, breaking through the air with a storm-like surge of profound energy. He immediately spotted the figure on the ruins, and his eyes widened. His entire body crackled with fiery light: "Yun Che... It's... you!!!"

Though Feng Hengkong was enraged moments ago, he hadn't lost his clarity. As he flew at full speed, he had made several guesses... The suspected culprits were none other than the Four Great Sacred Grounds! Additionally, there was the possibility that the news of the Phoenix God's death had finally been completely exposed!

Because only the Four Great Sacred Grounds, and only after confirming the Phoenix God's death, would they dare to attack the Divine Phoenix Sect in such a manner!

But he had never considered Yun Che, for one reason alone that was sufficient for dismissal... Yun Che had been in the Azure Wind Nation yesterday, and had even spoken to him through Feng Huwei's dying soul imprint. Flowing Cloud City was a hundred thousand li away from Divine Phoenix City; without a profound ark of the Sacred Grounds' caliber, it was absolutely impossible to arrive within a single day.

Yet, the person on the ruins was indeed Yun Che.

Amidst his surprise and fury, Feng Hengkong also let out a significant sigh of relief in his chest. Since it wasn't the Four Great Sacred Grounds, his Divine Phoenix Sect had no need for even a hint of fear, and the truth of the Phoenix God's demise had not been exposed. His hypothetical crisis, therefore, ceased to exist.

At the same time, they had been discussing killing Yun Che today, and he had actually delivered himself right to their doorstep... and with all the Elders present! He even provided a sufficient... more than sufficient reason to kill him! Originally, he had saved Princess Xue three years ago, and if they were to simply kill him, once word got out, it would undoubtedly attract countless unfavorable criticisms. But now, by destroying the Phoenix Divine Statue, killing Yun Che ten thousand times over wouldn't be excessive.

No matter what, he couldn't... or wouldn't leave alive today! Feng Hengkong could now finally resolve a major concern in his heart.

"Hmph, it seems you picked a good time. Those people behind Feng Hengkong all have profound energy at the Mid to Late Tyrant Profound stage; they must be Elder-level figures of the Divine Phoenix Sect. To arrive in such a group, it looks like they were holding an Elder Council meeting," Jasmine said with a hint of schadenfreude.

Yun Che crossed his arms, his lips curled into a wanton and sinister sneer. Facing Feng Hengkong, and the swarm of Phoenix Elders and disciples rushing in from behind, there was no apprehension or fear on his face; instead, his sneer deepened: "Phoenix Sect Master, long time no see. You're doing well, I presume? Tsk tsk, I recall back then, the Phoenix Sect Master wanted me dead, even sending assassins after me on the Primordial Profound Ark. And in just a few short years, you've become so courteous. I've barely stepped through the gate, and not only has the Phoenix Sect Master come out to greet me personally, but he's also brought all the sect's Elders and disciples along... Oh dear, how terribly embarrassed I am."