Chapter 708: Poor Performance

"However, I, Yun Che, am not one who enjoys killing. At the very least, I'm not like you, Phoenix Sect Master, with your human face but beastly heart, willing to harm countless lives in my Blue Wind Empire for your own selfish desires! I traveled thousands of miles to your Divine Phoenix Empire simply to reclaim what rightfully belongs to our Blue Wind Empire. As long as you honestly agree to and fulfill my conditions, I won't even bother stepping foot into your Divine Phoenix Sect again. But if you continue to refuse to see reason..."

Yun Che's lips curved into a cold, murderous smile. "I can't guarantee which of your sons will die today!"

Each of the four conditions Yun Che announced yesterday would cause the Divine Phoenix Sect to lose power, be humiliated, and have its dignity trampled. Feng Hengkong couldn't even contemplate agreeing to them without his rage spiraling out of control. Coupled with the bitter hatred stemming from Yun Che's killing of two of his sons, Feng Hengkong found it impossible to remain calm when facing Yun Che, even with all his willpower.

For the past two days, a prince had been taken hostage each day. Now, Yun Che had come alone, with nothing to rely on. The elders, pavilion masters, hall masters, protectors, and senior disciples immediately mobilized, all on high alert. The situation today was completely different from the previous two days; how could they allow Yun Che to be so arrogant again?

Feng Hengkong's eyes burned with hatred as he growled, "Feilie, Feiran... spare no effort, take him down with all your might!!"

The moment Feng Hengkong's voice fell, Feng Feilie and Feng Feiran, who were behind him, shot into the air, heading straight for Yun Che. As the newly appointed Grand Elder and Second Elder of the Divine Phoenix Sect, they were the two strongest profound practitioners among all the current elders. Both were at the peak of the Tyrant Profound Realm, and with sufficient opportunity, they might even reach the Sovereign Profound Realm within decades or a century.

"Yun Che, you brat, prepare to die!!"

The instant they ascended, their profound energy erupted without reservation. The bursting phoenix flames bathed half of the Divine Phoenix Sect in a crimson glow, and their speed reached its absolute limit. Their profound energy and mental force locked tightly onto Yun Che alone.

However, what they didn't realize was that while Yun Che's profound realm was only at the King Profound Realm, the aura suppression from the Tyrant Profound Realm had no effect on him whatsoever. At the same moment Feng Feilie and Feng Feiran launched themselves, Yun Che also moved...

One moment he was standing with his arms crossed, a cold sneer on his face, his body showing no profound energy fluctuations.

The next instant, without any discernible movement from him, his entire figure suddenly became illusory, and another silhouette had already appeared thirty feet away...

His speed was so incredible, it was almost like teleportation!!

This speed even surpassed the limits of what a Tyrant Profound Realm practitioner's eyesight could perceive. Before the roars of Feng Feiran and Feng Feilie, who were charging with all their might, could even subside, their vision blurred, and they completely lost sight of their target. Even their profound aura lock on Yun Che was broken.

As the strongest among the Divine Phoenix Sect's elders, both had extensive battle experience, yet at this moment, they were simultaneously stunned. By the time they re-locked onto Yun Che's position, he was already one hundred and fifty feet away. Before they could even fully register this lightning-fast speed, their expressions changed drastically, and they roared, "Protect the Eleventh Prince!!"

Yun Che was heading directly towards Feng Ximin, the Eleventh Prince of the Divine Phoenix Empire. Six Phoenix elders closely guarded him, and below them were over a dozen hall masters and hundreds of disciples under these six elders.

Yun Che's speed was almost incomprehensible, giving people from other directions no time to rush over and intercept him. The six elders were already on full alert when Yun Che suddenly charged. Before he even got close, they instinctively attacked simultaneously from six angles, intending to prevent him from advancing an inch.

Yun Che approached with lightning speed, maintaining his pace even as he faced the six elders' attacks. When he was less than fifteen feet away, he instantly split into five afterimages, causing the six elders' vision to blur, and their movements and attacks to momentarily pause and fall into disarray...

Boom!!

Phoenix flames burst forth, scattering fire everywhere. Amidst the fiery glow, Yun Che's afterimages vanished simultaneously, but from behind the six elders, a terrified scream erupted.

"Ahhh—"

The six elders spun around like lightning, their eyes bulging, their bodies trembling. Their faces showed the greatest terror and disbelief they had ever experienced...

"Th-the Eleventh Prince!!"

"No... impossible! When did he... This... How is this possible!"

Eleventh Prince Feng Ximin, who had been firmly protected behind them, was now grasped by the scruff of his neck and lifted into the air. His movements, posture... and even the expression on his face were almost identical to yesterday's Feng Xichen. Standing beside him was none other than Yun Che.

When Yun Che charged towards his direction, Feng Ximin instantly turned pale with fright and hastily circulated his profound energy. However, his King Profound Realm level four profound energy was utterly useless against Yun Che. Furthermore, under Yun Che's lightning-fast speed, he didn't even get a chance to unleash it before Yun Che struck his dantian, instantly suppressing his profound energy and leaving him without the strength to resist, let alone stand.

Yet, not a single one of these Phoenix elders, all with mid to late-stage Tyrant Profound Realm power, saw or perceived how Yun Che had appeared behind them. The six elders had combined their strength to protect the Eleventh Prince, yet in a mere instant... just an instant, the Eleventh Prince was seized. Their combined full-force attacks hadn't even grazed Yun Che's clothing.

"The Eleventh Prince!!"

"Min'er!!"

The same scene, the same situation, the same nightmare, appeared before everyone in the Divine Phoenix Sect for the third time.

The first time, they could comfort themselves by believing they were caught off guard by Yun Che's sudden burst of speed. The second time, they could tell themselves that Yun Che was cunning and treacherous, using special methods to sneak into the sect unnoticed and seize Feng Xichen.

But this time, Yun Che appeared openly and boldly. Not only did he not launch a sudden attack on the Divine Phoenix Sect, but he even alerted everyone with a loud roar, then waited for the entire Divine Phoenix Sect to surround him and prepare their full defenses, with all the princes receiving maximum protection...

Yet, Yun Che took only three breaths... just three breaths, to effortlessly abduct the third prince!!

Every hair on Feng Hengkong's body was trembling. All the Phoenix elders and disciples were shaking with fear. Their current feelings were beyond description.

They were the Divine Phoenix Sect, an existence second only to the Four Sacred Grounds on the Profound Sky Continent. They were the absolute overlords of the Seven Profound Sky Nations, possessing the Profound Sky Continent's only divine bloodline, strength capable of overshadowing the heavens, and a glorious history spanning five thousand years. No one among the Seven Profound Sky Nations dared to disobey them...

But today, all this glory and prestige had become an utter joke in the face of this 22-year-old youth from the Blue Wind Empire.

Currently, the Blue Wind Empire had produced three figures at the Emperor-level: Yun Che, Xia Yuanba, and Fen Juechen. In terms of raw strength, Yun Che was weaker than Fen Juechen and even weaker than Xia Yuanba. However, if Xia Yuanba and Fen Juechen had come to the Divine Phoenix Sect, it would have been impossible for the sect to be so disgraced, and they might even have risked serious injury or death under their combined encirclement.

But unlike them, Yun Che possessed the "Phantom Light Thunder Gale" and "Star God's Broken Shadow." The mobility provided by combining these two techniques was unparalleled, even by Xia Yuanba and Fen Juechen together. He hadn't directly engaged any Phoenix elder in combat, yet he had thrown the entire Divine Phoenix Sect into disarray and caused Feng Hengkong to break down multiple times.

Speed is paramount; this is an irrefutable truth in almost any realm.

"Yun... Che..." Feng Hengkong's voice trembled, his entire body shaking as if in a biting cold wind. The hatred burning within him nearly consumed his very being. He muttered the name, seemingly wanting to grind it to dust with his teeth.

As before, the Phoenix elders encircled Yun Che. They exchanged bewildered glances, constantly looking at Feng Hengkong, their faces twitching with helplessness. Facing Yun Che, who once again held the Eleventh Prince's life in his hands, they didn't dare utter a single word of deterrence.

"Imperial Father... Master... save me... save me!"

Like Feng Xichen yesterday, Feng Ximin's face was ashen, and he cried out in despair. As Divine Phoenix Princes accustomed to luxury and the reverence of the world, they feared death far more than ordinary people.

Grand Elder Feng Feilie stepped forward, trying to compose himself. "Yun Che, you..."

The moment he spoke, a thunderous voice echoed from a distance: "Yun Che! You dog bastard, release my Eleventh Brother!!"

Yun Che's temperament, clear from the tragic deaths of the two princes, was well understood by the Divine Phoenix Sect. The sudden outburst of curses directed at Yun Che not only failed to appease them but instead made their hearts pound with fright. Their gaze shifted westward... The angry curse came from the central area of Phoenix City, and the one who uttered it was none other than the Ninth Prince, Feng Xilin, standing alone there.

Upon Yun Che's arrival, everyone's attention had been solely focused on him, so few had noticed when Feng Xilin had moved to that spot. His sudden outburst startled the elders, and the nearest Phoenix elder quickly said in a low voice, "Ninth Prince, do not provoke him! He's a madman capable of anything!"

The scene they most dreaded then unfolded. No sooner had Feng Xilin's roar faded than Yun Che's gaze pierced through the crowd, directly falling upon Feng Xilin in the distance. Almost everyone felt a moment of bone-chilling murderous intent.

"Many people in this world dare to insult me, and all of them, regardless of who they are, eventually share one common outcome..." Yun Che said with a smile, "They either die a miserable death, or they live a life worse than death."

Yun Che's mental strength far surpassed Feng Xilin's; Feng Xilin could hardly withstand his gaze. Under Yun Che's icy stare, he became rigid, cold sweat poured down his back, and his vision even blurred. Biting down hard in shock and instinctive fear, he barely managed to maintain a calm facade as he roared, "Was I wrong to curse you?! Yun Che, you're not just a mongrel who tainted my Phoenix bloodline, but also a despicable coward who only knows how to ambush and flee! You're utterly useless apart from ambushing and running away, yet you have the audacity to be arrogant in front of my Divine Phoenix Sect!"

"Ninth Prince, don't infuriate him!!" The elder who had spoken before urgently repeated.

"Oh?" Yun Che looked at him. "So?"

Feng Xilin struggled to compose himself, forcing a contemptuous sneer onto his face. "The day before yesterday, you harmed my Fourteenth Brother. Yesterday, you killed my Thirteenth Brother. Today, you attacked my Eleventh Brother! Among us Divine Phoenix Princes, these three brothers of mine are the weakest in cultivation, all merely at the King Profound Realm. Hahahahaha, you truly only have the ability to attack those at the King Profound Realm! Why don't you try to abduct me?!"

Profound energy burst from Feng Xilin, and a surging profound energy aura of the first level of the Tyrant Profound Realm spread out.

Feng Xilin's words startled both the Phoenix disciples and elders. Soon, some of the Phoenix elders noticed Feng Xilin's standing position and instantly realized what was happening, though they still tried to maintain expressions of worry and fright.

"Ninth Prince, stop talking nonsense with him!" a Phoenix elder yelled loudly.

"Hmph, as if I'd be afraid of him!" Feng Xilin scoffed arrogantly. "This mongrel from the Blue Wind Empire is only at the mere third level of the King Profound Realm. His only capital for arrogance is his speed. From beginning to end, all he knows how to do is run away; he doesn't even have the guts to face the elders in combat. Unfortunately, no matter how fast a stray dog runs, it will always be chased and beaten. And no matter how fast a stray dog runs, there will come a time when its legs break. Once its legs break, heh, then it'll die a death as ugly as can be!"

Feng Xilin extended a finger towards Yun Che, making an utterly contemptuous gesture. "Yun Che, you utterly useless King Profound Realm trash, even if your speed were ten thousand times faster, in the eyes of this Prince, a Tyrant Emperor, you're nothing but a laughable clown. My three imperial brothers fell into your hands simply because they were incompetent trash, and their deaths are no great loss. As for me... heh, why don't you try to attack me the way you did those three useless imperial brothers of mine? Do you believe that if you come within thirty feet of me, I have dozens of ways to tear you to shreds?!"

"But, I doubt you'd dare, because a stray dog that only knows how to run, even with ten thousand times the courage, wouldn't dare lay a hand on this Prince! Hahahahahaha!"

Hehehe... Feng Xilin laughed wildly, while Yun Che sneered. Since his arrival, he had been silently pondering what method the Divine Phoenix Sect would use to lure him into the area of the Phoenix Sealing Forbidden Array.

And Feng Xilin's clumsy attempt at provocation felt like a complete insult to his intelligence!!