Chapter 718: Phoenix Heavenly Might

"The Phoenix Fire Barrier was reinforced just two months ago... even Elder Tianyu and Elder Tianqing, both Sovereign Profound Realm experts, couldn't possibly break through it! Yun Che... he..." Everyone stared blankly at the sky, utterly speechless with shock. The Phoenix Fire Barrier of their Divine Phoenix Sect was undoubtedly the strongest protective barrier in the Seven Nations of Profound Sky. Even a mid-stage Emperor Profound Realm expert couldn't break it in a short time. Yet, with merely a dozen sword strikes, Yun Che had caused large cracks to appear in the transparent barrier, accompanied by grating, tearing screeches.

Although the barrier's cracks typically healed quickly, this rapid regeneration was barely a drop in the ocean against the overwhelming bombardment of the Heaven Smiting Sword. With every downward strike from Yun Che, Phoenix City trembled, Divine Phoenix City quivered, and the cracks on the barrier spread like wildfire.

"How can he possess such immense power... Impossible... This is impossible!!" Feng Feilie roared, trembling. He had lost count of how many times he had uttered "impossible" in the past half-hour, but he was certain that all the shocks he had experienced in his entire life combined could not compare to the intensity of these fleeting thirty minutes.

*BOOM!!!* The twenty-ninth sword strike landed with a thunderous roar. A massive web of cracks appeared in the barrier before Yun Che. Its transparent color was replaced by a chaotic red glow, at the center of which was a conspicuous five-inch gap.

A corner of Yun Che's mouth twitched. With a faint cold laugh, he thrust the Heaven Smiting Sword forward... This time, it wasn't a blunt strike, but a full-force thrust.

"Falling Moon Sinking Star!" The sword gleam sliced through the void, effortlessly piercing the Phoenix Flame Barrier. As the Heaven Smiting Sword's power erupted, the mere few-inch gap was instantly obliterated into an opening over five feet wide. The entire Phoenix Flame Barrier's energy surged out like a flood breaking through a dam, gushing madly from the blasted opening.

"The barrier... it's broken!!" No matter how unbelievable this sight was, it unfolded clearly before their eyes. Thirty sword strikes... Every one of them had counted precisely. Thirty sword strikes were all it took to shatter the protective barrier of the Profound Sky Seven Nations' foremost sect!

Yun Che's body passed through the breach in the barrier, descending from above. A chilling, bone-piercing aura enveloped the souls of everyone present.

Before today, they had been infuriated by Yun Che's speed, with almost every individual wishing they could catch him and tear him limb from limb. Now, seeing Yun Che descend from the sky, both the Phoenix disciples and the powerful Phoenix Elders felt an instant chill in their hearts. Almost all of them instinctively recoiled several steps, not a single one moving forward even half a step.

The Phoenix Flame Barrier, shattered by thirty sword strikes, made them realize in extreme terror that their proudly boasted Tyrannical Emperor strength was not even worthy of being mentioned in the same breath as Yun Che, whom they had barely given a second thought the day before!

No one doubted anymore that Feng Tianyu and Feng Tianqing had both perished by his hand!

"Protect the Sect Master!!" The Phoenix Elders swiftly moved to shield Feng Hengkong and the princes. However, their weapon-gripping hands trembled, and the phoenix flames around them flickered erratically. For the past three days, Yun Che had used the princes' lives as leverage. But today, Yun Che finally revealed his true power before the Divine Phoenix Sect, exerting an absolute display of might that intimidated the previously arrogant sect.

"Feng Hengkong, though I wish I could kill you ten thousand times over and annihilate your entire sect and clan, for the sake of the Blue Wind Nation and Xue'er, I have given you four chances... yet you repeatedly spat in my face!"

Yun Che swung his arm, bringing the Heaven Smiting Sword down with immense power. A formidable sword aura, like a tsunami, rippled outwards. The hundreds of Phoenix disciples below were frantically fleeing, desperate to escape the devil descending from the sky. Yet, in the instant the Heaven Smiting Sword swept down, their bodies all violently shuddered. Their bones shattered, blood vessels burst, and meridians snapped... All of them collapsed onto the ground like mud.

The vast expanse of land, rapidly stained red with blood, simultaneously sank half a zhang. This sudden scene utterly terrified the already fearful Phoenix clansmen. Yun Che hadn't even attacked directly; he had merely swept his sword... What had instantly claimed the lives of a hundred Phoenix disciples was simply the sword aura released by that vermilion greatsword!

And the lowest cultivation level among these deceased Phoenix disciples was at the Sky Profound Realm!

"You... you... you... who exactly are you?! You can't be Yun Che!" Feng Feilie stood at the forefront, pointing at Yun Che, his voice trembling uncontrollably. Even with Yun Che right before his eyes, he couldn't reconcile him with the Yun Che who was only at the Earth Profound Realm three years ago... The power difference between the two was utterly dimensional; how could they be the same person?!

Gazing at the Phoenix Elders huddled protectively around Feng Hengkong, Yun Che mocked them with cold indifference: "Don't you old Phoenix dogs usually act so lawless and arrogant, looking down on everyone? Don't you all want to tear me into ten thousand pieces? I'm right here now, so why are you all trembling like sieves? How pathetic."

"Yun Che..." Feng Feilie's eyes were bloodshot. The tip of his longsword, under the phoenix flame, had turned a jade-like crimson. "You... How could my venerable Divine Phoenix Sect... be afraid of a mere greenhorn like you!"

"Die!!" Feng Feilie's eyes bulged as he roared and thrust his sword at Yun Che. As the strongest among the Phoenix Elders of this generation, Feng Feilie's profound energy was at level ten of the Tyrannical Profound Realm, nearing its peak. The crimson color of his sword indicated that its power had reached its zenith; a single strike was enough to scorch the heavens and split the earth.

Facing the strongest attack from the most powerful Phoenix Elder, who had poured out his full strength, Yun Che remained expressionless, casually waving the Heaven Smiting Sword in his hand.

*Clang!!* An overwhelmingly powerful greatsword storm, carrying phoenix flames a hundred times hotter than Feng Feilie's, erupted violently. Space shattered like glass, and simultaneously, Feng Feilie's crimson-colored longsword also splintered. Spatial fragments, mixed with crimson crystal shards, radiated outwards like a storm amidst a terrifying profound energy explosion.

"Aaaahhhhh—" Amidst his shrill screams, Feng Feilie flew far away like a kite with a broken string, leaving a scarlet trail of blood dozens of zhang long in the air. His right arm, which had just gripped his sword, had completely vanished from his body.

"Grand Elder!!" "Feilie!!" "Master!!"

Although Yun Che's destruction of the Phoenix Flame Barrier with his sword had already revealed his terrifying power, this scene still inexplicably horrified everyone. The strongest elder of this generation in the Divine Phoenix Sect, having unleashed his full power, was utterly defeated and severely wounded in a single exchange with Yun Che. Especially for the younger Phoenix disciples, seeing their Grand Elder, whom they usually revered like a god, so miserably defeated by someone younger than themselves with one sword strike... their beliefs crumbled amidst extreme terror.

Though Feng Feilie was gravely injured and had lost an arm, he was not yet dead. But how could Yun Che be merciful enough to let him go? Before Feng Feilie even landed, the Heaven Smiting Sword was already swung again, and a Phoenix Arrow shot through the void, directly pursuing him.

"Stop!!!" *BOOM!!* The instant Feng Feilie landed, the Phoenix Arrow struck him squarely in the chest. The phoenix flames burst open mercilessly, incinerating Feng Feilie's body into scattered, charred embers that flew through the air.

"Grand Elder!!!" Years ago, the Divine Phoenix Sect's Grand Elder Feng Feiyan perished on the Primordial Profound Ark under Xia Yuanba's wrath. Now, their new Grand Elder, who had only been in the position for three years, met his end once again... and this time, it was right before their eyes.

"Yun Che... My Divine Phoenix Sect swears to fight you to the death! Our sect is protected by the Ancestral Phoenix God; the Ancestral Phoenix God will surely unleash divine punishment upon you!!" Phoenix Elder Fen Lingshan roared. He attempted to intimidate Yun Che with his words, but every syllable he uttered carried trembling and fear... and even a faint hint of despair.

"Heh, you still have the nerve to mention 'Ancestral Phoenix God'?" Yun Che moved, instantly appearing within thirty zhang from a hundred zhang away. His aura locked onto Feng Hengkong and all the Phoenix Elders ahead, causing their faces to turn instantly pale and cold sweat to stream down them. The oppressive power Yun Che exerted without his greatsword versus with it was utterly incomparable. Under Yun Che's fully unleashed pressure, these powerful Phoenix Elders felt as if they were facing a terrifying demon god from the abyss.

"Attack!!" Feng Lingshan, who had just spoken, could no longer endure the overwhelming pressure. He roared and charged forward. The four Phoenix Elders beside him also shuddered, gritted their teeth fiercely, and reluctantly attacked.

Though they were five people acting together, none dared hold back in the slightest. Their very first moves were their most ferocious killing blows.

"Mountain-Burning Blade!" "Phoenix Flame Scorching Heaven!" "Phoenix Fire Heaven-Breaking Sword!" The five Phoenix Elders attacked simultaneously, unleashing the most powerful profound arts from their respective factions. Their combined might was earth-shattering; perhaps never in their lives had these five individuals exerted themselves so completely.

In truth, while Yun Che's current strength could overwhelm any single Phoenix Elder, he definitely couldn't crush the combined might of them all. If the Phoenix Elders had responded calmly and formed a defensive array, they might not have killed Yun Che, but they could certainly have forced him back or even severely wounded him.

However, the psychological impact of Yun Che killing two Phoenix Emperor Profound Realm experts and shattering the barrier with thirty sword strikes was simply too profound... A pack of bloodthirsty, fierce wolves might drive back a group of tigers, but a pack of terrified jackals would flee in panic even from a single fierce tiger.

The Phoenix Elders facing Yun Che at this moment resembled the latter. Only five of them attacked Yun Che this time; the other Phoenix Elders remained still, instead huddling around Feng Hengkong... Their subconscious thought was that facing Yun Che, who could even slay two Phoenix Emperor Profound Realm experts, rushing forward would simply be a pointless sacrifice.

The incoming five streams of energy created a blast of air that caused Yun Che's clothes to billow. If it had been an attack from ten people, he might have considered avoiding their vanguard, but with only five... there was absolutely no need for him to retreat.

The Heaven Smiting Sword burned with phoenix flames, and behind him, the fiery silhouette of a Sky Wolf instantly appeared. The Heaven Smiting Sword struck out violently, carving a dark chasm in space.

"Phoenix Sky Wolf Slash!!" The massive Sky Wolf silhouette, wreathed in scorching phoenix flames, shot forward with a soul-shaking howl. It simultaneously met the five Phoenix Elders' attacks, plunging into the midst of their unleashed sword and fire glows... In a single instant, all the flames, sword beams, and blade shadows were utterly shattered and obliterated.

The surging phoenix flames disintegrated into sparks scattering across the sky. The three Phoenix swords and two Phoenix blades all shattered, turning into sharp fragments that flew far away. The chests of the five Phoenix Elders were struck as if by lightning, and they were sent flying in different directions like five burst blood bags, their screams echoing like ghostly wails.

"All of you, die!!" Yun Che swiftly closed in, his cold killing intent locked onto the five Phoenix Elders whom he had severely wounded with a single sword strike. He then aimed a blow at Feng Lingshan, who was closest to him... If this sword landed, it would surely pulverize him.

"How dare you, wretched beast!!" Just then, a thunderous roar echoed, carrying an oppressive might like a ten-thousand-zhang mountain collapsing, causing Yun Che to momentarily falter. With an explosive sound, the ground less than fifty zhang in front of Yun Che suddenly erupted, and a thick beam of fire abruptly blasted towards him.

Behind the fiery light, an old man with eyes full of rage and a face like crimson jade was revealed. He wore a red robe, his hair, beard, and even his eyes were reddish-black, and the flame mark between his brows emitted a rich, blood-like crimson glow.

Yun Che was completely unafraid of phoenix flames, but the profound energy driving this particular phoenix flame was overwhelmingly powerful, several times stronger than Feng Tianyu's! Yun Che's brows furrowed sharply. He could no longer bother with Feng Lingshan, quickly withdrawing the Heaven Smiting Sword and holding it horizontally before him.

*BOOM!!!* With a tremendous crash, amidst soaring flames, the Heaven Smiting Sword slammed violently into Yun Che's chest. He was sent flying backwards with great force, his blood and qi surging throughout his body. A large spray of blood mist erupted from his mouth. With eyes wide in fury, he let out a low roar and forcefully activated the Evil God's Barrier.

"Cloud Sealing, Sun Locking!" Yun Che tumbled through the air for more than a dozen rotations. The Evil God's Barrier rapidly shattered, and the profound energy from the red-robed elder was finally completely nullified. The red-robed elder's eyes revealed a hint of surprise, but his palm flipped lightning-fast. Six weapon fragments scattered in the air transformed into sharp crimson flame crystals, piercing space as they shot towards Yun Che, who had just regained his balance.

*Puff, puff, puff, puff, puff, puff...* Ordinary weapon fragments, in the hands of the red-robed elder, transformed into the most terrifying blades. Their speed was horrifying, as if they had traversed dimensions. By the time Yun Che sensed the approaching danger, all six crimson-glowing weapon fragments had already pierced his body, creating six bursts of exploding blood.

Yun Che let out a muffled groan. The Heaven Smiting Sword vanished from his hand. Under the Illusionary Lightning Flash, he shot eastward like a storm.

Surprise reappeared in the red-robed elder's eyes... He naturally knew the immense power of those six crimson blades. Furthermore, Yun Che's defenses had just been shattered by his phoenix flame attack. In such a state, even a Level 4 Emperor Profound Realm expert would have six transparent holes directly pierced through their body. Yet, on Yun Che's body, they had merely caused six blood flowers, without piercing through!

In addition, there was Yun Che's surprisingly low profound energy aura and incredibly astonishing speed.

"Grand Ancestor!" "Grand Ancestor!!" The terrified Phoenix Elders and disciples shed tears of relief as they watched the red-robed elder appear in the sky like a divine being, who had wounded Yun Che with a single strike and forced him to flee. Their gazes were like those of people gazing upon a savior god.

"Imperial Father..." Feng Hengkong looked up, slowly stepping forward. This emperor of Divine Phoenix, who ruled the world, had trembling pupils and diligently maintained a humble posture before the red-robed elder.

"Grandfather!" The princes present, both agitated and panicked, immediately knelt on the ground.

The red-robed elder who had appeared was none other than the Grand Ancestor of the Divine Phoenix Sect and the Grand Emperor of the Divine Phoenix Empire... Feng Tianwei!

Since entering the Phoenix Fire Nirvana Realm 190 years ago, he had rarely concerned himself with state or sect affairs, dedicating himself solely to cultivation. Having already reached the Emperor Profound Realm, his cultivation had advanced by leaps and bounds. His few departures from the Phoenix Fire Nirvana Realm over the years had almost always been because of Feng Xue'er.

Above them, the rapidly disintegrating and shattered protective barrier hung. Below, Phoenix City, which contained five millennia of the sect's heritage, lay in ruins and desolation, covered in scarlet phoenix blood and broken corpses. He lifted his crimson eyes, and the surprise that had flickered within them was now consumed by extreme fury.

"Deserves ten thousand deaths!" Feng Tianwei murmured softly. Ignoring everyone, he flickered, instantly appearing a hundred zhang away, directly pursuing Yun Che. The powerful air currents generated by his movement caused a row of pavilions below to collapse.

*Thud!!* Yun Che punched his own chest, forcing out all six weapon fragments that had pierced his body, simultaneously expelling six bursts of blood. He gritted his teeth, not uttering a sound, and quickly sealed the external wounds. He then took two Snow Beauty Pills from the Sky Poison Pearl, swallowed one, crushed the other, and applied it to the six deep wounds.

"Hiss..." Both his internal and external injuries were quite severe. Yun Che finally let out a pained groan. If not for his Dragon God's Marrow, which made his bones as hard as profound gold, forcibly blocking all six remnant blades, it wouldn't have been six simple wounds but six transparent holes.

"He's pursuing you," Jasmine said.

"I know," Yun Che replied without looking back, his brows tightly furrowed.

"It's rare to see you at such a disadvantage," Jasmine remarked with a faint, cold laugh.

"Who knew he'd burst out from underground!" Yun Che gritted his teeth. "All the Divine Phoenix Sect's Emperor Profound Realm experts are in a place called the Phoenix Fire Nirvana Realm. The only entrance and exit to that place are in the Phoenix God's Great Hall in the northwest corner. If an aura I couldn't contend with appeared there, the distance would be enough for me to curse him out before fleeing. But this old man in red robes didn't play by the rules... *cough... cough, cough...*"

Yun Che coughed up large clots of blood repeatedly. His internal injuries were much more severe than his external ones.

With the Great Way of the Buddha and the Dragon God's Body, Yun Che's profound energy and injury recovery speed were extremely fast, but even at their quickest, instantaneous healing was impossible. These injuries would inevitably have a considerable impact on Yun Che's speed, and forcefully using his full profound energy would only worsen them.

Even so, Yun Che's speed remained as swift as lightning, at least much faster than the "escape" speed he had maintained when Feng Tianyu was pursuing him.

But Feng Tianwei was not Feng Tianyu. Not only was he not shaken off, but the distance of that dangerous aura was actually getting closer and closer.

"This old man must be Feng Tianwei... What is his cultivation realm?" Yun Che asked, his brows furrowed, rapidly assessing the current situation in his mind.

"Middle stage of the Sovereign Profound Realm, Level Six," Jasmine replied casually.

"Sovereign Profound Realm... Level Six?" Yun Che's heart jolted slightly. This strength was far higher than he had anticipated. As someone from the same generation as Feng Tianqing and Feng Tianyu, Yun Che had initially estimated Feng Tianwei's profound energy to be around Level Three of the Sovereign Profound Realm, certainly no higher than Level Four.

To his surprise, Feng Tianwei's strength was a full three minor realms higher than Feng Tianyu's!

And these were three minor realms within the Sovereign Profound Realm!

While Feng Hengkong, as the current Phoenix Sect Master, possessed the highest profound cultivation, several Phoenix Elders of his generation had similar strength, and other elders were not far behind. But Feng Tianwei... perhaps his talent was astonishingly high, as his strength utterly crushed that of his peers.

"No wonder just two moves left me with both internal and external injuries..." Yun Che murmured, but his eyes showed not relief, but profound anger... and a hint of burgeoning madness.

How dare he make Yun Che, who had been so imposing, suddenly fall into such a pathetic state...

*Whoosh...* Yun Che drew a deep breath, his chest heaving violently. His eyes grew increasingly volatile and sinister, and even Jasmine inside the Sky Poison Pearl sensed an extremely dangerous aura emanating from him.