# Chapter 1197: Victory and Defeat
【Over five thousand words for one strike, finished in one go! So you won't say I'm dragging it out again!!!】
Nine Suns Heavenly Wrath, the ultimate flame of the Golden Crow World-Incinerating Record, could even be called the strongest destructive flame in the entire God Realm.
To comprehend it, one needed an extremely high understanding of flame laws and perfect mastery of Golden Crow Flame as a foundation, along with powerful insight and opportunity.
Someone as strong as Huo Rulie, the number one person of the Golden Crow Sect, had yet to comprehend it to this day.
And Yun Che...
A Divine Tribulation realm defeating a Divine Spirit realm... possessing both Ice Phoenix and Golden Crow divine blood... Arcane Firmament Illusion Gods, and even both Ice and Fire Illusion Gods... in comparison, the fact that he could release this ultimate flame didn't even seem that unacceptable anymore.
Everyone was looking up at the golden brilliance in the sky, gazing at this legendary supreme divine flame. Even Lu Lengchuan raised his head high, lost in thought for a long time.
However, his Imperial Dragon Sacred Barrier was rapidly repairing itself, gradually returning to a complete state.
Huo Rulie's words were not exaggerated. Nine Suns Heavenly Wrath, as the strongest flame power of the Golden Crow, was not so easily released. The mind needed to be completely focused, and the flame power required a long time of full concentration... Back when Huo Poyun performed Nine Suns Heavenly Wrath in Yin Xue Realm, it took a full fifteen breaths.
The reason he was able to successfully release it back then was due to the bet of three mutual attacks, so naturally, no matter how he focused his mind, he wouldn't be interrupted.
But facing a powerful enemy, even an instant's opening would not be let go by the opponent... let alone a full fifteen breaths!
Thus, although Nine Suns Heavenly Wrath was extremely powerful, on this Feng Shen Platform, it could be said to be fundamentally impossible to successfully release.
Yun Che's move seemed like a reckless act born of desperation.
The flame might emanating from Yun Che grew stronger and stronger, his entire figure already completely enveloped in golden flame light. The golden sun in the sky appeared unchanged, but the aura it released soared wildly with every moment, as if it would never end.
"Lengchuan, stop him quickly!"
Futian Realm King let out a loud roar.
Quhui Zunzhe sharply turned his head, shooting a warning glare at Futian Realm King.
But without needing Futian Realm King's warning at all, Lu Lengchuan had already leaped up at this moment, heading straight for Yun Che.
He was closest to Yun Che, and without any barrier between them, he could best feel how terrifying that flame might was.
The moment he moved, the silent Ice Phoenix phantom let out a sharp cry, swooping down towards Lu Lengchuan, a beam of ice light following, as gorgeous as the aurora of the northern pole.
Crack crack crack crack crack...
Over a dozen thick ice walls rose from the ground, blocking Lu Lengchuan's path. At the same time, a large expanse of thick ice mist spread, sealing Lu Lengchuan's vision, and then even directly blocking his spiritual sense, causing him to lose Yun Che's presence entirely in an instant.
The piercing bone-chilling cold invaded his heart and soul, while that scorching heat still existed and was intensifying... One cold, one hot, they should have cancelled each other out, but at this moment, they were bizarrely applied to Lu Lengchuan simultaneously, making his body feel as if it was half in magma and half in an ice prison.
Not only bizarre, but also unbearably uncomfortable.
Lu Lengchuan was secretly shocked, but he reacted immediately. His Sky-Shattering Spear swept horizontally, and with a crashing sound, several ice walls shattered. But at the same time, new ice barriers continued to form, layer upon layer, creating an increasingly massive and thick iceberg fortress. The ice mist also rapidly spread in this process, tightly blocking Lu Lengchuan's advance and spiritual sense.
"Yun Che is using the Ice Phoenix power to block Lu Lengchuan." Mu Bingyun said.
"This is... the power of the Ice Phoenix God-Sealing Canon!" Mu Huanzhi murmured. "The Golden Crow phantom can use the Golden Crow World-Incinerating Record, and the Ice Phoenix phantom can use the Ice Phoenix God-Sealing Canon... I've lived for ten thousand years, yet I still cannot understand what kind of power this is at all."
"Let me say it again: that is not a phantom, it's an Illusion God!" Huo Rulie emphasized for the third time.
Having inherited the purest Golden Crow bloodline, if Huo Rulie could become a Divine Lord, he would absolutely be able to cultivate the Golden Crow Illusion God technique "Golden Crow Descends". And this was naturally a power he dreamed of... How could he tolerate it being repeatedly called a "phantom"!
Mu Bingyun was right. Yun Che released the Ice Phoenix Illusion God precisely to block Lu Lengchuan.
Ten breaths was possible!
In terms of destructive power, Ice Phoenix power naturally could not match Golden Crow power. But in terms of defense and control, Ice Phoenix power was absolutely far superior!
Although it only had sixty percent of Yun Che's own power and couldn't block him indefinitely, if it was just ten breaths... it was absolutely possible!
To complete it in the shortest time, he directly burned his bridges by closing his six senses, completely focusing his mind and spirit. At this moment, even if Lu Lengchuan came within three steps of him, he would be completely unaware... This was his trust in his Arcane Firmament Illusion God power, and also his only choice.
The consciousness of the Arcane Firmament Illusion God did not come from Yun Che, but from the corresponding soul fragment. There was no need for Yun Che to divert his mind to control it. At the same time, its combat sense did not come from Yun Che either, but also from the soul fragment!
The soul fragment that Yun Che possessed was a piece of a true god's soul. The combat sense imprinted on it would not only be no weaker than Yun Che's, but would far surpass it!
A chain of ice barriers formed a massive ice barrier array within a few breaths. Amidst the spreading ice mist, after a series of attacks, Lu Lengchuan saw before him only layer upon layer of ice barriers.
But aside from that, no ice power attacked him... Clearly, all the power was concentrated on defense.
Lu Lengchuan's brow twitched. He gathered power briefly, his spear transforming into a dragon shadow, and let out a fierce roar.
"Collapsing Dragon Spear!!"
A dragon's roar shook the sky. Yellow light momentarily eclipsed the heavens. Under the suddenly erupting titanic force, nearly seventy percent of the ice mist and ice barriers exploded apart. The ice barrier array finally collapsed. Lu Lengchuan rushed out of the ice mist, but there was no sign of Yun Che ahead.
He turned around sharply, only to find Yun Che actually a hundred miles behind him!
Amidst the ice mist and barriers just now, after several attacks, he had become disoriented!
His aura re-locked onto Yun Che firmly, but Lu Lengchuan did not approach again. Instead, he held his spear horizontally, and a wave of aura completely enveloped the three-hundred-mile Feng Shen Platform.
"Not good!" Huo Rulie and the others' hearts tightened.
"Dragon Rock Array!"
After two breaths of power accumulation, a dragon shadow flashed, and the power of Dragon Rock erupted violently.
This was a power eruption that covered the entire Feng Shen Platform area. Yun Che had no way to avoid it. And in his current state of complete concentration, once touched, Nine Suns Heavenly Wrath would be instantly interrupted.
High in the sky, an ice shadow flickered. With a spiral of dreamlike ice wings, a dozen layers of ice crystal barriers instantly stacked around Yun Che.
If power was chosen for a large-scale eruption, it would inevitably be dispersed and greatly weakened. When the soaring yellow light approached Yun Che, it was firmly blocked by the ice crystal barriers. With crisp cracking sounds, the ice crystal barriers shattered layer by layer, but when it reached the eleventh layer, the Dragon Rock power had been completely neutralized. Yun Che within the ice crystals was unharmed, not even the corner of his robe stirred.
And in the next instant, the Ice Phoenix figure did not form another ice crystal barrier around Yun Che. Instead, it suddenly changed direction, and a blizzard swept down, taking advantage of Lu Lengchuan's brief power depletion.
In an instant, Lu Lengchuan's sky turned pure white.
In the blizzard, a huge blue ring silently appeared centered on Lu Lengchuan's body, then suddenly contracted. The space within the ring instantly transformed into an icy hell.
"Ice God Heaven-Sealing Array!!" The Yin Xue Realm disciples all roared.
Lu Lengchuan had just released the massive and highly consuming "Dragon Rock Array" and was in a moment of brief power depletion. Being caught squarely in the center of the "Ice God Heaven-Sealing Array", a terrifying ice storm like the arrival of doomsday erupted within the ice ring, instantly burying Lu Lengchuan within it.
Crack crack crack crack crack crack...
In the ice storm, ice frantically condensed. When the storm subsided, a thousand-zhang wide, thousand-zhang tall iceberg stood on the Feng Shen Platform, reflecting the light of the Golden Crow flames in the sky, yet exuding a chilling coldness under the scorching air, not melting at all.
"Sealed... he's sealed inside!!" Whether in the spectator seats or before the Star Monument, all the Yin Xue Realm disciples roared hoarsely, extremely excited.
"Such a massive Ice God Heaven-Sealing Array, and the Ice Phoenix phantom was able to activate it instantly..." Mu Huanzhi said in a daze.
"It's an Illusion God! An Illusion God!!" Huo Rulie roared, wishing he could smash Mu Huanzhi's head into the ground beneath his butt.
"Being sealed into the Ice Phoenix God-Sealing Canon's Ice God Heaven-Sealing Array, Lu Lengchuan will have difficulty escaping in a short time. Taking advantage of Lu Lengchuan's exposed weakness to seal him immediately... This Illusion God not only has independent consciousness, but clearly possesses extremely high intelligence." Yan Juehai sighed.
"However, although Nine Suns Heavenly Wrath is powerful, in its weakest single-sun form, can its power really defeat Lu Lengchuan with three layers of Imperial Dragon Sacred Barrier on him?" Yan Juehai said with some worry.
"No, look carefully." Huo Rulie gazed at the sky.
Yan Juehai looked up again, and his pupils suddenly contracted.
The sky was a golden expanse, spreading to the horizon. That golden sun had almost become the center of the entire world, releasing a blazing flame light that could not be looked at directly.
And at the edge of the flame light, Yan Juehai saw a faintly floating trace.
"That is... Twin Suns!!"
It was not a single sun, but two suns overlapping each other!
---
Zhou Tian Realm, another corner.
The sky here was also tinged with a reddish gold. Under a thick tree, Huo Poyun raised his head, looking at the two suns in the distant sky, feeling the intense Golden Crow aura that even reached here, and was stunned for a long, long time.
---
One breath... two breaths... three breaths... four breaths... five breaths...
Crack!!
On the iceberg, a long crack split open, and then the center of the crack exploded violently. Lu Lengchuan's figure flew out, his entire body covered in ice, already frostbitten in many places.
It took him a full five breaths to break free from the Ice God Heaven-Sealing Array. As soon as he appeared, a terrifying aura that made his heart tighten descended from above.
Damn it... Lu Lengchuan was greatly alarmed. In an instant, he locked onto Yun Che's position. Without caring where the Ice Phoenix phantom was, he gathered every shred of power he could mobilize at the fastest speed into his Sky-Shattering Spear. Yellow light flashed on the spear shaft, and a dragon's chime rang out.
"Hunter Dragon Strike!!"
Rip!!
It was as if space itself was torn apart. With a piercing screech, the Sky-Shattering Spear shot out, heading straight for Yun Che, as fast as a meteor streaking across the sky, accompanied by a dragon roar that shook the air.
Squawk!!
A phoenix cry tore through the sky, completely overpowering the dragon roar. The Ice Phoenix phantom danced, layers of ice barriers stacking, ice storms sweeping, meeting the Sky-Shattering Spear head-on.
Bang bang bang bang bang...
The ice barriers were pierced layer by layer, their power also weakened layer by layer. As the ice storm swept, the flight direction was constantly twisted. But with only sixty percent of Yun Che's power, the Ice Phoenix phantom ultimately could not fully block Lu Lengchuan's full-power strike concentrated on a single point. After piercing through layers of ice barriers, the Sky-Shattering Spear still bore straight down on Yun Che.
Squawk————
Another phoenix cry. The Ice Phoenix phantom suddenly flickered, instantly teleporting, appearing right in front of Yun Che.
"Moon-Breaking… Shadow Flick!?" Mu Huanzhi was so shocked his chin nearly hit the ground.
Boom!!!!
The Ice Phoenix phantom was pierced through in an instant, dissipating in midair with a mournful cry.
The power of the Sky-Shattering Spear was also heavily obstructed. Its power and flight speed greatly decreased, and its flight direction deviated significantly, flying past a full half-mile to Yun Che's right.
And at this moment, Yun Che slowly opened his eyes.
The sky was golden and dazzling. Twin suns hung in the sky.
Lu Lengchuan stopped there, not attacking again. Because he knew that Nine Suns Heavenly Wrath was already complete... Yun Che only needed a single thought to bring it down. It could no longer be interrupted.
A full ten breaths. Under the full obstruction of the Ice Phoenix Illusion God, he hadn't even touched the corner of Yun Che's robe.
The Feng Shen Platform was utterly silent. Everyone looked up at the sky, especially the Golden Crow Sect disciples, their eyes trembling as if worshipping a divine being.
According to ancient legends, the source of the Golden Crow's flame was the fire of the sun. Nine Suns Heavenly Wrath burned with the true flame of the sun.
"Success... he actually succeeded... Twin Suns... in only... ten breaths!?" Huo Rulie murmured, as if in a dream.
On this stage of the Divine Selection Battle, facing one of the Four Divine Sons of the Eastern Domain, Yun Che had actually succeeded in completing Nine Suns Heavenly Wrath!
"This Yun Che guy... can never be judged by common sense." Yan Juehai sighed.
An outsider actually possessing their clan's unique bloodline and profound art was a major event that would shake the entire sect. But at this moment, Yan Juehai was deeply envying the Golden Crow Sect.
If only what appeared on the Feng Shen Platform right now was their Phoenix Sect's "World-Burning Red Lotus", what pride and glory that would be.
Yun Che's gaze was calm, but his breathing was extremely heavy, and his face bore an expression of constant, twitching pain.
This successfully completed "Nine Suns Heavenly Wrath" had expended all his remaining power, not a shred left behind.
If it still couldn't defeat Lu Lengchuan, he would have no choice but to accept his fate.
Although it was already on the verge of losing control, he did not immediately bring down the Nine Suns Heavenly Wrath. His eyes met Lu Lengchuan's across the distance. No words were exchanged, but his gaze told Lu Lengchuan: once Nine Suns Heavenly Wrath descended, he would have no strength left to control it.
"..." Lu Lengchuan reached out, and the Sky-Shattering Spear flew back. He raised the Sky-Shattering Spear high, yellow light rippling around his body, forming a thick protective aura: "Come!"
Yun Che took a heavy breath. The flame light around his body exploded. The reddish-golden sky suddenly collapsed. The two overlapping suns descended amidst huge cries of shock, and in the process of falling, split into two.
"AHHHHHHHHH!"
The Feng Shen Platform had a powerful barrier separating it; its power would certainly not affect the spectator seats. But when the image of the sky collapsing and the suns falling appeared in their pupils, more than half of the younger profound practitioners let out uncontrollable screams.
Lu Lengchuan raised his head high. The terrifying, unparalleled aura gradually approached. He heard his father's shouts of alarm in his ears, but he did not choose to flee the Feng Shen Platform. Instead, he let out a roar: "HEH!!!"
Boom~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A muffled explosion. The suns exploded. The flame light blotted out the sky and sun, dazzling the heavens. People felt as if they had seen two real suns exploding before their eyes.
Lu Lengchuan's figure was completely swallowed up. The Feng Shen Platform space had utterly become a golden world, where only world-burning golden flames raged and rampaged. Even through the barrier, the terrifyingly unbelievable aura caused even a group of Divine King realm powerhouses to feel shock in their hearts.
"Sect Master, the Young Master... he... he won't be alright, will he?"
"..." Futian Realm King had already stood up, his hands tightly clenched, trembling faintly.
"This is the power of our... Golden Crow Sect!" From disciples to elders, everyone in the Golden Crow Sect stared with dazed, devout eyes, as if witnessing a miracle.
Amidst the overwhelming golden flame light, Yun Che fell from the sky, his entire body devoid of any strength, unable to even stand up. The injuries aggravated by releasing Nine Suns Heavenly Wrath caused him intense pain, but at least he could finally catch his breath.
But... at this moment, he suddenly looked up, staring fixedly in one direction, his gaze gradually solidifying.
The terrifying golden flames burned for a long, long time. If this weren't the Feng Shen Platform, no one would doubt that this entire area would have been burned to complete nothingness.
After a long time, the blazing flame light began to slow down. As the golden flames gradually thinned, the two figures that had been swallowed up for so long slowly emerged on the Feng Shen Platform.
Yun Che sat collapsed on the ground, his face ashen, blood seeping from the corner of his mouth, his entire aura extremely weak.
In the direction his gaze was fixed, Lu Lengchuan hung his head deeply, knelt on one knee, held his spear with both hands, and did not move... The three layers of Imperial Dragon Sacred Barrier on his body had completely vanished. All his outer garments were charred black. The exposed skin was also scorched. As far as the eye could see, there were severe burns, some deep enough to show bone.
His aura had also become very weak.
But this "weakness" was a nightmare for Yun Che.
The flames gradually extinguished. And at this moment, Lu Lengchuan finally moved. He lowered the arm holding the Sky-Shattering Spear and slowly stood up.
Though covered in burns and disfigured beyond recognition, he still stood straight.
His aura had weakened to less than one percent of its original strength, but compared to Yun Che, it was still many, many times better.
After a long silence, cheers suddenly erupted from the Futian Realm side. Futian Realm King took a huge breath, plopped down, his entire body drenched in cold sweat.
Yin Xue Realm and the Flame God Realm all fell silent, their expressions dark. Those who had longed to witness a miracle also fell silent. Yun Che had ultimately... lost.
"Sigh, so close, just that little bit." Huo Rulie closed his eyes, letting out an unwilling, long sigh.
Yun Che's Nine Suns Heavenly Wrath was released while he was heavily injured and his profound power greatly depleted. If not for that, Lu Lengchuan would never have been able to withstand it.
"He could have won, if he had used the Illusion God from the start." Yan Juehai looked up. Initially, he absolutely did not think Yun Che could beat Lu Lengchuan, but now he felt an intense unwillingness to accept this outcome.
Yun Che used his arms to support the ground, slowly, with great difficulty, standing up.
He was now as weak as a child. Just the simple act of standing had exhausted all his strength. Although Lu Lengchuan's aura was also weak, defeating him now would take but an instant.
The outcome was already decided. He had poured out all his power, not a shred left. He had no choice but to accept this result... but he couldn't resign himself to it.
Lu Lengchuan stared fixedly at him, but did not immediately attack to knock him off the Feng Shen Platform. His eyes flickered constantly, as if he was struggling and hesitating over something.
Then, Lu Lengchuan's gaze suddenly softened. Looking at Yun Che, he smiled.
The Sky-Shattering Spear disappeared from his hand. He turned around, facing Quhui Zunzhe: "I concede."
Two plain words made everyone startle, almost thinking their ears were playing tricks on them.
Yun Che: "...??"
"What did you say... concede?" Quhui Zunzhe frowned. "You clearly have an absolute advantage right now. Why do you want to concede?"
Lu Lengchuan glanced at Yun Che, his expression solemn: "I, Lu Lengchuan, as the son of the Futian Realm King, have always been proud and unbending, never belittling myself. But this battle... I am no longer worthy of winning."