Chapter 117: Phoenix Wing Firmament Dance
“Old Ghost! Tiger!!”
Seeing Black Ghost and Black Tiger instantly decapitated, Black Demon’s heart and guts nearly split apart, and he almost vomited blood on the spot. The Black Demon mercenaries were all frozen in place, unable to believe that three powerful vice-captains with True Xuan Realm strength had died in the span of a moment at the hands of a sixteen-year-old youth.
“Heh, no need to grieve. You’ll be seeing them soon enough.” Yun Che turned sideways, sneering at Black Demon. The Tiger Soul Sword suddenly lifted, and a tongue of fire over a meter long swept toward him from a distance.
“You bastard! I’ll make you pay blood for blood! I’ll chop you into pieces!” Black Demon was seething with rage. He swung his wolf-tooth club, dispersing Yun Che’s tongue of fire, then leaped high, bringing the club down in a jumping strike at Yun Che. Yun Che also launched himself into the air, gripping the Tiger Soul Sword with both hands, and collided with Black Demon in midair.
Clang!!
Sparks flew in all directions. Both bodies trembled violently at the same time, then flew backward. Yun Che landed, his body swaying only slightly before steadying. Black Demon, upon landing, staggered back five or six steps before finally stopping. On his iron wolf-tooth club, a gap more than a finger deep had appeared.
After that single exchange, Black Demon finally understood why Black Ghost, Black Tiger, and Black Wolf had been so easily slain by Yun Che in succession. Even he, in this clash of pure Profound Force, was at a disadvantage!!
Black Demon’s eyes rolled wildly, his face full of disbelief… Impossible! Absolutely impossible! He clearly had only Xuan Entry Realm level ten Profound Force, while he himself was at True Xuan Realm level three! How could his Profound Force intensity be greater than his own? This can’t be! It simply can’t be!
But no matter how unwilling he was to believe, the facts were clearly laid out before him. The opponent’s Profound Force level was obviously lower, yet the intensity of his Profound Force was steadily superior. Moreover, his weapon held a huge advantage. Black Demon’s wolf-tooth club was a True Xuan weapon, infused with his own Profound Force during battle, yet one strike had left such a large gap. A few more hits, and it would very likely be cut straight through.
“Looks like you’re nothing special.” Yun Che raised a hand and stroked the back of the Tiger Soul Sword, taunting.
“Kid, don’t get too cocky. That was just me holding back! A piece of trash at Xuan Entry Realm like you—how could you possibly be a match for me, Black Demon? Hah! Storm Strike!”
Having roamed the outside world for decades without any sect heritage, Black Demon naturally hadn’t learned any high-level Profound Arts or techniques. But he had studied a fair number of miscellaneous low-level techniques readily available everywhere. He closed in on Yun Che, his body suddenly spinning rapidly, swinging his wolf-tooth club to whip up a Profound Force storm of no small power.
Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!!
Yun Che retreated slightly, quickly blocking with the Tiger Soul Sword in a horizontal stance, parrying all of Black Demon’s attacks. Each collision between the Tiger Soul Sword and the wolf-tooth club produced a crisp sound and a shower of sparks. After more than thirty consecutive clashes, Yun Che leaped backward, retreating more than ten steps. At that moment, Black Demon’s assault also ceased. He pointed at Yun Che and roared, “What are you all standing around for?! Kill him! Whoever kills him becomes vice-captain!”
The Black Demon mercenaries were still reeling from the shock of seeing three vice-captains killed in an instant. At Black Demon’s roar, they snapped out of it and surged in from all sides to surround Yun Che.
“Senior Sister, take care of yourself!”
With nearly eighty Xuan Entry Realm Black Demon mercenaries encircling him, Yun Che dared not be careless. Under these circumstances, he couldn’t afford to look after Lan Xueruo. With her strength, though she was weakened, she should be safe for a short while against Xuan Entry Realm enemies.
“Looking for death!”
A dozen Black Demon mercenaries formed a simple formation and charged at Yun Che simultaneously. Instead of retreating, Yun Che sneered and swept his sword to meet their attack. A massive tongue of fire flew out, making the Tiger Soul Sword in his hand seem to stretch to eight feet in length.
Pfft! Pfft! Pfft! Pfft! Pfft…
The tongue of fire swept across the first man, severing his cervical spine, then continued unimpeded toward the second, third, fourth… When facing multiple enemies, unless one has overwhelming power, it’s usually unwise to attack them all at once, as it disperses attack power. Instead, one should focus on breaking them one by one to reduce pressure.
But Yun Che chose a sweeping strike with his flame Profound Force! Against these Xuan Entry Realm foes, his Profound Force was far from overwhelming. However, his weapon was an Earth Xuan sword that could easily cut through Xuan Entry Realm Profound Force defenses! The flames he released were Phoenix flames channeled through the Evil God’s power! Coupled with the absolute superiority of his Profound Art and weapon, his sweep became a true sweep—no strain at all.
Seven or eight of the dozen or so mercenaries attacking him were sent flying by this single strike. A gust of wind came from behind, and a heavy battle-axe swung at his neck. Without turning his head, Yun Che clenched his left fist and smashed it in that direction.
Boom!!
That ambushing mercenary’s chest bones shattered into pieces as he flew far away, spitting blood.
“Die!”
Toward these Black Demon mercenaries, Yun Che felt not a trace of reluctance or pity. He leaped up, dodging the attacks of three mercenaries, and stepped down onto the chest of one coming from diagonally behind, punching a bloody hole straight through. Using the rebound force, he shot out over a distance, sweeping a tongue of fire that caught three more. When he landed, he skewered another three with his sword.
More and more Black Demon mercenaries closed in, swarming like a tide to surround him. Yun Che’s expression remained calm and unruffled. Using Star God Remnant Shadow, he darted through the crowd like a swallow in a storm, weaving in and out. Wherever the Tiger Soul Sword passed, if it struck a weapon, the weapon was cleaved; if it struck a person, it dealt a fatal blow. The Profound Force defenses of these Xuan Entry Realm cultivators were no different from a sheet of paper before the Tiger Soul Sword.
Before long, Yun Che’s body was splattered with large patches of blood, but he was completely indifferent. He had killed too many people in his life; killing was as ordinary to him as reaping wheat, stirring no ripples in his heart.
Standing in the distance, Black Demon had originally planned to launch a sneak attack while Yun Che was surrounded, delivering a lethal blow. But watching Yun Che bathed in blood, mowing down one after another and entire groups of his mercenaries like grass, a deep chill began to creep into his heart… This was clearly just a youth, yet he killed so cleanly and decisively, without a hint of hesitation or mercy. And his eyes and expression while killing were far too calm—so calm that it didn’t seem like killing at all!
He himself had killed quite a few people in his life—no less than a hundred, at least eighty—but he could never remain so calm while doing it.
Moreover, he was only at Xuan Entry Realm, yet he possessed such terrifying power… those shocking tongues of fire, that long sword that killed anyone it touched… Black Demon’s heartbeat quickened. His urge to ambush Yun Che rapidly faded, replaced by a deepening fear sprouting in his heart. His feet began to retreat, and then he turned around and fled in panic.
“Trying to run?” His actions were fully within Yun Che’s sight. Yun Che’s eyes turned dark. He swept the Tiger Soul Sword, driving back the surrounding mercenaries, then stomped the ground, leaping nearly ten zhang into the air. His sharp gaze locked onto Black Demon, and his entire body blazed with crimson flames.
“Phoenix Wing Firmament Dance!”
Yun Che’s entire body ignited in raging flames. Behind him, two flaming phoenix wings spread open. He shot downward like an arrow, looking from afar like a small phoenix plummeting from the sky, faintly accompanied by the cry of a phoenix.
Phoenix Wing Firmament Dance—a Phoenix Flame technique recorded in the fifth level of the *Phoenix Ode Scripture*. When activated, it manifests flame wings on the back, crashing into the enemy with overwhelming momentum, triggering a massive fiery explosion. Normally, it required the Phoenix Flame Force of the fifth level of the *Phoenix Ode Scripture* to execute, but with Yun Che’s exceptional comprehension, he forcibly broke through the barrier using the power of the Evil God’s Fire Seed, and was able to drive it with his own Evil God Flame Force mixed with Phoenix Flame Force.
The intense pressure and scorching heat in the air made Black Demon turn his head instinctively. But even with his advance notice, he couldn’t possibly evade the unstoppable momentum of Phoenix Wing Firmament Dance…
Boom!!
The deafening roar shook the heavens. On the parched ground, countless cracks spread like a spiderweb, instantly buried by the wild flames. Amid the blazing fire, a black figure shot out, scattering a wide arc of blood before crashing to the ground like a discarded rag doll, kicking up a cloud of dust.
All the Black Demon mercenaries froze. They stared wide-eyed in terror at the black figure convulsing on the ground beyond the flames. Lan Xueruo was also stunned, her small hand covering her mouth, her eyes filled with shock and bewilderment.
Yun Che walked slowly to Black Demon, looking down at his prone, helpless body with cold eyes. Activating Phoenix Wing Firmament Dance required a massive expenditure. Today was his second time using it, and coupled with the prolonged activation of the Evil Soul Profound Gate, his body was beginning to feel a significant weariness. But the effect of this strike was obvious—in the impact, he had clearly heard the sound of Black Demon’s spine snapping.
With his spine broken, Black Demon was completely crippled. Even if he survived, he would be paralyzed for life.
“Spare me… spare me… I don’t want to die…”
Sensing Yun Che’s approach, Black Demon groaned in pain, begging for mercy. The instinct to cling to life was universal, especially for a thorough villain like him who had enjoyed a carefree life for decades and hadn’t had enough. Yun Che bent down, took the yellow spatial ring from his hand, and said coldly, “You no longer have any value.”
As his words fell, Yun Che struck with his palm at Black Demon’s neck.
*Crack.* Black Demon’s neck snapped cleanly. His eyes bulged, and then he fell silent.