Chapter 356: The Sword Saint's Wrath
Just as Yun Che left the Canghuo Region and began his journey toward the Cangfeng Imperial City, a figure silently appeared above the Fen Tian Gate.
Fen Juechen had already departed. The Fen Tian Gate lay in deathly silence, its grounds covered in rubble and corpses. The air was thick with the stench of decay and scorched flesh, as if the place had just endured a cataclysmic disaster. Occasionally, one or two bold souls dared to approach and investigate, but upon witnessing the horrific scene at the Fen Tian Gate, they would tremble uncontrollably, break out in cold sweat, and hastily retreat without daring to come any closer.
"Alas, I was still too late."
The figure in the air stared silently at the ruins below for a long time. At last, he let out a long, deep sigh. With that sigh, a heavy and vast aura descended from the sky, enveloping the entire Fen Tian Gate. Instantly, the air ceased to flow, and even the black ash floating in the air froze in place, as if time itself had suddenly stopped.
"Such great strength—if used for good, it would be a blessing for Cang Feng. But his heart is that of a demon. To slaughter the entire Fen Tian Gate so cruelly is a calamity for Cang Feng. This boy must not be allowed to live."
The figure turned his gaze northward. Instead of heading back the way he had come, he strode through the air, directly toward the north. In the blink of an eye, he was already several miles away.
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"...The Fen Tian Gate's headquarters have been reduced to ruins. The Gate Master, the Supreme Sect Master, the thirty-three Hall Masters, the twenty-seven Elders, and all the disciples... all of them are dead. Not a single survivor, not a single escapee. The entire sect has been wiped out cleanly. The Fen Tian Gate is completely finished—not only annihilated, but annihilated in the cruelest manner. Yun Che's methods are far more vicious than anyone could have imagined..."
"Now, the outer branches that the Fen Tian Gate had established in various cities have almost all received the news. They have been declaring their separation from the Fen Tian Gate almost immediately, then quickly changing their names, terrified that Yun Che's extermination might implicate them."
With every word he heard, the chill in Xiao Jue Tian's body deepened. After hearing the full extent of the Fen Tian Gate's tragic fate, even the gaps between his teeth felt cold. Like everyone else, he could never have imagined that Yun Che's revenge would be so utterly ruthless and extreme.
He had originally thought that Yun Che killing the Gate Master, all the core figures, and destroying the Fen Tian Gate would be the limit. He never expected that Yun Che would employ methods straight out of hell itself.
When others heard about this, they would be utterly shocked. But for him, knowing all this, the predominant feeling was undoubtedly fear!
Given Yun Che's personality, he surely would not let go of what happened three years ago.
But that was a matter caused by Xiao Kuangyun himself. If he could bear the pain of abandoning his only legitimate son and hand him over to Yun Che for punishment, perhaps the situation could be defused. Moreover, submitting to someone capable of completely destroying a sect like the Fen Tian Gate was not too shameful.
However, the Supreme Sect Master Xiao Wuqing had always been arrogant and unyielding. He valued the sect's glory above life itself and would never allow such a thing to happen. He had chosen to send the Supreme Elder Xiao Wuyi, carrying the Xiao Sect's forbidden artifact, to assist the Fen Tian Gate in killing Yun Che... And by doing so, they had completely lost their only chance to ease the conflict!
"Sect Master, what should we do?" The old man beside Xiao Jue Tian asked. "Our Xiao Sect has never feared any external enemy, but this Yun Che must absolutely not be underestimated. He had the ability to destroy the entire Fen Tian Gate in just a few days, so he might..."
"Enough." Xiao Jue Tian's chest heaved violently. He clenched his fists and said, each word heavy, "If Yun Che were merely extremely powerful, then if he came to our door, I could fight him to the death. But... his methods are so cruel and extreme! He wiped out an entire sect just because two of his family members were taken—and they were safely rescued in the end! Our Xiao Sect's strength is about on par with the Fen Tian Gate, and my second uncle has already died at his hands. Since he could destroy the Fen Tian Gate, he has the power to destroy our Xiao Sect as well... This is a terrifying fact that we cannot deny!"
The entire main hall fell completely silent, broken only by the frantic beating of everyone's hearts.
"We must not repeat the Fen Tian Gate's mistake!" Xiao Jue Tian turned around, his gaze fixed straight at everyone present. "If Yun Che comes to our door, we must absolutely not engage him in battle! If we can seek peace, even if we have to sacrifice all dignity and endure every humiliation, we must strive for it with all our might. If it ultimately comes to war, then... we will take all the Heaven-Destroying Thunders and perish together with him! I will never allow our Xiao Sect to become the second Fen Tian Gate!"
"Sect Master, there is no need to be so pessimistic." Xiao Bo Yun stepped forward and said, "Yun Che's strength is indeed astonishing, but within Cang Feng, there are still those who can kill him. And the one most capable of doing so... according to the news just received, left the Tian Jian Villa alone last night."
Xiao Jue Tian's spirits lifted: "You mean... the Sword Saint, Ling Tianni?"
"Exactly!" Xiao Bo Yun nodded. "Ling Tianni has always been upright and righteous, hating evil as his mortal enemy. He once had a friendship with Fen Yijue. He had been in secluded cultivation for decades, never stepping into the mortal world, yet he left the Tian Jian Villa last night. He must have been coming to save the Fen Tian Gate from disaster—unfortunately, he seems to have acted too late. If he sees the tragic state of the Fen Tian Gate, he will first feel guilt, and then... he will be enraged by Yun Che's demonic methods. Either reason would be enough for him to pursue and kill Yun Che! Perhaps, at this very moment, Ling Tianni is already on the path of hunting Yun Che."
Xiao Bo Yun's words eased Xiao Jue Tian's expression somewhat. He said in a low voice, "Very good... If that is the case, then Yun Che is surely doomed! When Yun Che fought against Fen Yijue, he was severely wounded and forced to flee, which proves his strength is not much greater than Fen Yijue's. And ten Fen Yijues would be no match for the Sword Saint. If the Sword Saint truly left the Tian Jian Villa to resolve the crisis of the Fen Tian Gate, then... he will absolutely impose judgment on Yun Che with his own hands!"
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The news of the Fen Tian Gate's annihilation swept across the entire Cang Feng Kingdom like a violent storm, causing an earthquake-like uproar. It was perhaps the most shocking and terrifying news the people of Cang Feng had ever heard in their lives. It brought them the most extreme astonishment, horror, and disbelief they had ever experienced.
On one side, a super sect that had stood for a thousand years, lofty and untouchable.
On the other side, a mere nineteen-year-old youth.
That nineteen-year-old youth had created a fact that was almost as hard to believe and accept as defying the heavens themselves.
And no matter how deep the enmity, to slaughter every single person in the entire Fen Tian Gate—was this evil?