Chapter 761: Wolfish Predicament

Before Yun Che took down Xuanyuan Yufeng, he had already telepathically warned Feng Xue'er to be careful. Facing Xuanyuan Jiuding's sudden attack, Feng Xue'er remained completely calm. With a slight lift of her fair hand and a gentle flick of her white sleeve, a crimson flame arrow materialized before her, then flew remarkably slowly towards Xuanyuan Jiuding.

A crimson, low-grade profound flame would be scoffed at by even a practitioner in the Earth Profound Realm. Xuanyuan Jiuding completely ignored it, reaching out to grasp Feng Xue'er's neck. But in the next instant, his expression drastically changed, as what rushed towards him was a searing oppressive force that instantly made him gasp for air.

Greatly alarmed, Xuanyuan Jiuding immediately thrust both hands forward without hesitation. His profound energy rapidly surged severalfold, causing his two grey sleeves to billow outward.

*Bang!!!*

When the two Emperor Profound Realm energies collided, a massive energy ripple radiated outwards. Although Ling Yuefeng and Ling Tianni were dozens of yards away, the ripple hit them like a heavy hammer, sending them flying several miles before they finally came to a halt, their blood boiling and nearly spitting blood.

Feng Xue'er's flame arrow hovered before Xuanyuan Jiuding—but it only halted, refusing to be dispersed by his power, showing no signs of weakening. This sight made Xuanyuan Jiuding's pupils constrict; he could not believe his eyes. He instantly gritted his teeth, and his profound energy surged again. This time, he unreservedly unleashed his full power, thrusting it forward.

With a muffled thud, the crimson flame arrow was pushed back several feet. Feng Xue'er's bright eyes, visible through her white veil, flickered slightly. She flicked her long sleeve again, and her slender, jade-like fingers casually pushed forward.

Instantly, the Phoenix Arrow's flames surged, its might increasing severalfold. Though not immense, its crimson glow dyed the entire sky red.

Xuanyuan Jiuding's already constricted pupils tightened further. He let out a low groan, utterly refusing to believe that the previous display was not the full extent of her power. In an instant, with just a casual movement, she had increased her power by nearly double!

Under the surging power of the Phoenix Arrow, he was forced to retreat step by step. He gritted his teeth, channeling all his profound energy into his arms, which swelled to twice their normal size, seemingly on the verge of bursting, yet it was still futile. An increasingly terrifying burning sensation began to engulf his entire body, making him feel as though he was walking step by step into an inferno that would utterly incinerate him.

*Whoosh!!* Xuanyuan Jiuding's two long sleeves began to burn fiercely, and his face grew increasingly pained, because his hands, illuminated by the fire, were not crimson, but had turned a shocking charred black.

"Thir... Thirteenth Elder!!" Mu Yuanzhi cried out in alarm. Everyone witnessing this, except Yun Che, was dumbfounded, as if in a dream. Xuanyuan Jiuding was the Thirteenth Elder of the Heavenly Might Sword Region, a figure of immense power across the entire Profound Sky Continent! To force Yun Che into submission, he had deigned to attack a young girl, presumably a disciple of the Frozen Cloud Asgard, and by surprise at that. It should have been effortless... yet not only did he fail to subdue her, he was forced back by a single strike and, under her counterattack, was instantly put at a disadvantage.

Xuanyuan Jiuding's profound energy had reached the sixth level of the Emperor Profound Realm. In the eyes of people like Ling Yuefeng and Ling Tianni, he was akin to a god.

"Yuanzhi... help!!" Xuanyuan Jiuding roared, his voice trembling with pain. He could already distinctly smell the scent of burning flesh emanating from himself.

Mu Yuanzhi awoke as if from a dream. A surge of energy erupted from him, and the long sword from his back flew out of its sheath into his hand. He thrust the sword forward... not at Feng Xue'er, but at the crimson flames pressing against Xuanyuan Jiuding. In just a few breaths, Xuanyuan Jiuding's body had sustained multiple burns; if he wasn't helped to escape the flames first, it was entirely possible he would lose the use of his hands.

Both of their attention had previously been focused entirely on Yun Che. Although Yun Che's profound energy aura was surprisingly weak, they dared not be careless, as the rumors about him were each more astonishing than the last.

Yet, they could never have imagined in their wildest dreams that the young girl who accompanied him would be so terrifying! She was clearly far more formidable than Yun Che!

Yun Che glanced at Mu Yuanzhi, who was rushing towards Feng Xue'er, without a trace of worry on his face. Although these two Sword Region Elders were extremely powerful, it would be effortless for Feng Xue'er to defeat them with her profound energy. Seizing the moment while everyone's attention was diverted, a blue light flashed on his left arm, and his Profound Aura instantly surged into Xuanyuan Yufeng's soul.

Mu Yuanzhi's sword was completely black. As he thrust it, ripples like water waves emanated from his body.

*Clang!!* The sword tip struck the Phoenix Arrow. The sword intent that erupted instantly made space shriek violently, and the aura of the crimson flames was momentarily suppressed. Xuanyuan Jiuding finally found a moment of respite. Ignoring the intense pain throughout his body, he sharply drew a breath, and the sword from his back flew into his hand. Like Mu Yuanzhi's, his sword was plain black, unadorned, yet it radiated extraordinary might.

"Heavenly Might Sword Formation... Star Piercer!!"

*Rip!!* Space was torn open like cloth, creating a rift several yards long. The surging sword intent and immense power of this strike made Ling Tianni and Ling Yuefeng, watching from afar, stare in awe as if witnessing a divine realm in swordsmanship.

Under the combined might of the two Sword Region Elders' swords, the Phoenix Arrow was forcibly repelled, and even its fiery aura slightly diminished. Xuanyuan Jiuding and Mu Yuanzhi simultaneously gritted their teeth, unleashing their profound energy and sword intent with full power, not daring to show any slack. Though they had finally gained the upper hand, they felt no sense of relief. These two dignified Sword Region Elders were actually forced to team up against a young girl...

For either of them, this was previously unimaginable, and an unacceptable humiliation.

However, while they were now fighting with all their might, it didn't mean Feng Xue'er was using her full power.

Feng Xue'er raised her arm for the third time. A golden phoenix mark flickered slightly between her brows, and her snow-white sleeve still fluttered gently. Faintly, a phoenix cry, origin unknown, echoed between heaven and earth.

The Phoenix Arrow's flames surged, instantly transforming from a single fiery arrow into a full-fledged Phoenix of flames. The crimson light and searing heat, as if from the depths of purgatory, effortlessly pierced through the Sword Formation of the two Sword Region Elders, mercilessly enveloping them.

"Ugh!!" Xuanyuan Jiuding and Mu Yuanzhi's expressions changed again. A pained groan simultaneously escaped their throats. They nearly gnashed their teeth, letting out a low roar, as the highest-level sword intent and sword force in the Profound Sky Continent surged forth wildly, attempting to shatter the flames. But despite their desperate efforts, not only did they fail to evade the crimson blaze, their sword intent was rapidly devoured, and even the Sword Formation they had conjured was suppressed and quickly collapsed.

Their two originally pitch-black longswords rapidly began to turn red, like ordinary branding irons heated to a glow. Yet, these were no ordinary swords, being the personal weapons of Sword Region Elders. The temperature capable of scorching them to such a state was simply unimaginable to ordinary people.

Wisps of black smoke began to rise from Xuanyuan Jiuding and Mu Yuanzhi's palms. Tufts of flames flared up from their bodies and hair; they desperately tried to suppress them, only for more to immediately spring up. Both men felt as though they were being roasted alive over purgatorial flames, in unbearable pain yet unable to escape, because the fire before them was too terrifying. The moment they eased up even slightly, retreating a mere half-step, the flames would lunge forward and completely consume them.

"Young lady... please... have mercy..." Xuanyuan Jiuding's beard had already begun to burn, and his entire body felt as if it were covered in glowing hot irons. Forced into such a desperate situation, he no longer cared about the dignity of a Sword Region Elder, issuing a painful plea to Feng Xue'er.

Feng Xue'er did not retract the flames. Instead, she looked at Yun Che, only to find his face deathly pale, his eyes revealing a terrible, somber intensity.

Screams of agony rose from below. Dozens of corners of the Heavenly Sword Villa had already caught fire, and numerous Heavenly Sword disciples were writhing in pain on the ground. Although Feng Xue'er's Phoenix Flame was hundreds of yards in the sky, this was the Phoenix Flame of an Emperor Profound practitioner—and a high-level one at that. Even its residual power was more than the Heavenly Sword Villa could endure.

The abnormal state of the Heavenly Sword Villa made Feng Xue'er's cherry lips part slightly, her heart fluttering. She quickly raised her jade arm and flicked her long sleeve. Instantly, the Phoenix Arrow changed course, flying westward towards the Heavenly Sword Mountain Range with a long fiery trail and a phoenix cry.

*Boom!!!* The Phoenix Arrow struck a relatively high mountain on the edge of the range. With a muffled explosion, the entire peak erupted in flames, then rapidly sank and vanished, dissolving into swirling molten lava.

The intense heat covering the Heavenly Sword Villa quickly dissipated. The elders and disciples of the Heavenly Sword Villa stared blankly at the flames in the west, which seemed to pierce the very sky, their souls trembling wildly.

To the Heavenly Sword Villa, Feng Xue'er's power was simply unimaginable.

Xuanyuan Jiuding and Mu Yuanzhi finally escaped their nightmare. The instant the Phoenix Flame flew away, they shrieked like two terrified hounds and stumbled backward. Even their swords, which they never usually parted with, dropped from their hands onto the ground below. Both men gasped wildly, circulating their profound energy to suppress the burns across their bodies.

Their sword-wielding hands were charred black, especially Xuanyuan Jiuding's right hand, whose palm had been directly burned through, revealing several grim finger bones, mostly blackened. Their robes were already riddled with holes, and their hair and beards were singed and disheveled, making them look utterly wretched.

Never in their lives had either of them been so disgraced.

"Phoenix Flame! You... who exactly are you?!" Xuanyuan Jiuding endured the intense pain throughout his body, his voice noticeably trembling as he shouted. He considered himself quite knowledgeable about the Phoenix Divine Sect. He had even fought against Feng Tianwei before... The current Grand Ancient Sect Master of the Phoenix Divine Sect, whose profound energy was merely on par with his own.

But how could this young girl, whose aura was clearly so youthful... possess such terrifying profound energy?! When did the Phoenix Divine Sect produce such a figure?!

No sooner had he spoken than he suddenly recalled a rumor about the Phoenix Divine Sect from three months prior. His pupils constricted, and he cried out in shock: "You are... the Phoenix Divine Sect's Snow Princess!?"

"What?" Mu Yuanzhi whirled around, greatly astonished.

Yun Che's disturbance at the Phoenix Divine Sect three months ago was common knowledge across the Profound Sky Continent. At that time, the Four Sacred Grounds also received rumors that the appearance of the Snow Princess had ended the chaos. Moreover, the Snow Princess, who had been dormant for three years, seemed to have significantly increased her profound energy and subsequently traveled with Yun Che to the Blue Wind Nation.

To be able to suppress both of them even when they were fighting together, her cultivation had to be at least two minor realms higher than theirs!

In other words, at least the eighth level of the Emperor Profound Realm!!

And profound energy at the eighth level of the Emperor Profound Realm would be enough to rank among the top ten even in any of the Sacred Grounds!!

This girl used Phoenix Flame, was by Yun Che's side, and the Phoenix Flame she unleashed was so terrifying... it could only be the Snow Princess! Although they had heard rumors that the Snow Princess's profound energy might have significantly increased, they never could have imagined it would skyrocket to such an extent.

The Snow Princess's age should be only nineteen this year...

An eighth-level Emperor Profound practitioner at nineteen!!

Xuanyuan Jiuding and Mu Yuanzhi both simultaneously gasped in cold air. Even if they, as Sword Region Elders, were to speak of this, it was almost impossible that anyone would believe them.

In the distance, Ling Tianni and Ling Yuefeng, who had been sent flying by the energy ripple, stood motionless like two wooden sculptures. Xuanyuan Jiuding and Mu Yuanzhi, beings they considered god-like, had been so utterly and humiliatingly defeated by a mere young girl. Their shock was beyond words... they had even forgotten that Xuanyuan Yufeng's life and death were currently in Yun Che's grasp.

Feng Xue'er did not reply. Her snow-like figure flickered, and she instantly appeared beside Yun Che, looking at his darkened face with concern: "Brother Yun, what's wrong? You look terrifying right now."

"..." Yun Che's hand, gripping Xuanyuan Yufeng, unconsciously tightened. Moments ago, while Xuanyuan Jiuding and Mu Yuanzhi were suppressed by Feng Xue'er, he had used his Profound Aura to invade Xuanyuan Yufeng's soul, scanning part of her memories. After all, he had only heard those things from Zi Ji, and couldn't be certain they were true; perhaps he had wronged Xuanyuan Yufeng.

In his subconscious, he had even somewhat hoped that he truly had wronged Xuanyuan Yufeng, as she was Ling Jie's biological mother after all.

However, the results of the memory scan using his Profound Aura made his eyes nearly burst with rage.