# Chapter 358: Phoenix Flame, Ice God (Part 1)
"Just now, that was spatial interference! His sword intent has become powerful enough to pierce through space. Though it's only the lowest level—barely considered introductory spatial interference—it's more than enough to deal with you." Mo Li's voice was icy cold as she spoke slowly. "Against him... you have no chance of victory!"
"Spatial interference? Interesting!" Yun Che lightly brushed his hand over his chest, quickly stopping the blood flow from his wound. "The higher the heights one reaches, the more one realizes the vastness of the world. There actually exists sword intent capable of piercing space in this world... Hah, worthy of being called the number one sword saint of Cang Feng."
"But after two strikes, they've only left me with such insignificant injuries... That's all there is to it!"
Though Yun Che spoke in a low voice, it was more than enough for Ling Tianni to hear every word without missing a single one. He didn't respond, instead taking an effortless step forward into the void, his green longsword slowly pointing ahead... In an instant, a seven-foot-long sword beam burst forth from the tip of the blade, then split into two, five, ten, dozens... By the time the sword beams reached Yun Che, they had become overwhelming, completely filling and sealing off the space around him.
Yun Che raised his face, his gaze low and deep, and smashed out with Long Que.
"Overlord's Wrath!!"
A furious dragon's roar resounded deafeningly within the green sword formation, blasting open a half-zhang-wide gap. Yun Che used Star God Remnant Shadow to escape through the gap, thrusting Long Que straight at Ling Tianni.
His sword formation had been so easily broken. A flicker of admiration passed through Ling Tianni's eyes, but then returned to indifference as he lightly tapped his sword forward.
Ding!!
The tip of the green sword collided with the heavy point of Long Que. Under the immense pressure of Long Que, the green sword instantly bent into a crescent moon shape. Yun Che's brow tightened. Just as he was about to exert more force, he suddenly felt a terrifying power like a tidal wave surging toward him from the front... The curved sword body suddenly snapped back, forcefully knocking Long Que aside. Yun Che's arm went numb as if struck by a heavy hammer. Long Que nearly flew out of his grasp, and he let out a muffled groan as he was sent flying backward...
Bang!!
Yun Che's body slammed heavily into the ground, shattering a large section of the earth beneath him. Long Que finally slipped from his grip the moment he landed. When he stood up, his entire right hand was split with over a dozen cracks, blood gushing profusely. His internal organs churned violently, causing unbearable pain, as if they had already been torn apart.
The man before him was the universally recognized number one of Cang Feng. Yun Che certainly wouldn't underestimate him. But when he actually fought him, he realized that Ling Tianni's strength far exceeded his expectations. Perhaps, in terms of pure power, Yun Che—comparable to a Level 4 King Xuan—wasn't too far behind Ling Tianni at Level 6 King Xuan, despite the significant gap.
But the realm Ling Tianni stood at completely surpassed Yun Che's understanding—it was a level that Yun Che, in his current state, couldn't even comprehend. His sword intent was incredibly powerful and endlessly varied. It could be sharp enough to cut through anything, vast as an ocean, and even capable of interfering with space, making it impossible to guard against or resist.
In their exchange, Yun Che was completely suppressed. He hadn't even touched a corner of Ling Tianni's robe before he had already suffered successive injuries.
But the pride ingrained in Yun Che's bones would never allow him to accept such a crushing defeat!
He stood up, reaching out his bloodstained right hand. Long Que rose on its own and returned to his grasp. Yun Che fixed a cold gaze on the sword saint in the air. Instead of feeling any fear, his fighting spirit and fury burned several times more intensely.
"Impressive strength. It actually took me seven-tenths of my power to defeat you. No wonder you had the ability to destroy Fen Tian Gate." Ling Tianni descended slowly from the air. The green sword in his hand shimmered with a cold light that dared not be looked at directly. "Such astonishing talent, yet with such a vicious heart. What a pity—I must eliminate you today!"
Ling Tianni's voice fell like a judgment, deep and shocking, its peculiar penetrative power carrying clearly across most of the imperial city. As his voice faded, his sword intent surged. A seven-colored sword beam suddenly manifested on the green blade, and an overwhelmingly terrifying sword aura enveloped Yun Che tightly.
Just then, a green shadow swiftly flew over from the direction of the imperial palace. It was a rapidly flying Fenglie Bird. On its back stood a youth whose expression was frantic to the extreme. From far away, he urgently shouted, "Grandfather, stop!"
Ling Tianni's sword halted mid-air. His gaze shifted slightly to the suddenly appearing youth. "Jie'er? Why are you here?"
The Fenglie Bird swooped in quickly, carrying Ling Jie directly between Ling Tianni and Yun Che. Ling Jie wiped the sweat from his forehead, his hands clenched nervously as his face showed a pleading expression. "Grandfather, you can't kill him! I've known him for a long time. He is absolutely not the kind of villain you think he is."
Ling Tianni did not sheathe his sword. The seven-colored sword beam was dazzling and chilling. "Not staying properly in the villa, and coming here instead—just to protect this vicious brat? He massacred over seventy thousand people of Fen Tian Gate. That single crime alone makes him deserving of ten thousand deaths without redemption!"
Ling Jie shook his head vigorously, pleading. "No, Grandfather. It's true he killed everyone in Fen Tian Gate... although it was a bit excessive, I know the whole story much better than you. Fen Tian Gate had been provoking him all along. There were several times they nearly forced him to his death. He was pushed to the point of no return, and only in his rage did he destroy Fen Tian Gate."
"Hmph! Personal grudges justify wiping out an entire sect? Even if half of Fen Tian Gate were evildoers, what about the tens of thousands of innocent people who died for nothing? You would protect someone so venomous? I am deeply disappointed in you... Step aside at once!"
Ling Tianni held uncontested authority at Tian Jian Villa. Though Ling Jie was somewhat irreverent and usually didn't take his father Ling Yuefeng's words to heart, he never dared to act disrespectfully in front of Ling Tianni. Every word Ling Tianni spoke pressed down on Ling Jie like a mountain, making it hard to breathe. His face flushed red. Gritting his teeth, a surge of stubbornness welled up. "Grandfather... he is the big brother I recognize, the only person I have ever sincerely admired in my life. If he were the kind of person you describe, how could I possibly be willing to acknowledge him as my big brother? Grandfather, I beg you—stop this. Don't kill him... If you insist on killing him, then kill me first!"
"You!" Ling Tianni's eyes widened. The hand gripping his sword trembled slightly... Yun Che's expression also stiffened. He never expected that Ling Jie would say such words to Ling Tianni's face.
All of this trouble originated from Yun Che himself. Ling Jie had risked offending Ling Tianni and even offered his own life to protect him. Yun Che was deeply moved, but how could he allow Ling Jie to fall out with his own grandfather because of him? He stepped forward, placed a hand on Ling Jie's shoulder from behind, and said with a smile, "I will remember that you stood up for me... But that's enough. This is my affair. I'll handle it myself."
Ling Jie turned around, his face filled with worry. "But..."
"Don't worry," Yun Che said directly. "As ridiculously strong as your grandfather is, it's not that easy for him to kill me. If my life were that fragile, I wouldn't have survived until now. Step back. I guarantee I'll come out of this unharmed. If you stay here, things will only become harder to resolve, and you'll put both me and your grandfather in a difficult position."
Yun Che's words always had a power that made Ling Jie instinctively believe in them. After a brief hesitation, he nodded and slowly retreated, though his eyes remained intensely fixed on the two.
At that moment, the seven-colored sword beam on Ling Tianni's sword finally erupted, tracing a dazzling stream of flowing light through the void as it descended toward Yun Che below.
Yun Che lifted his head slightly. A flash of savage madness flickered in his eyes.
"Purgatory!!"
Yun Che's eyes instantly turned blood-red. The Phoenix Flame on his body exploded violently, then burned wildly under the impetus of the Purgatory realm, making Yun Che seem like a blazing sun.
"Rumble..."
A terrifying air blast sounded in the space around Yun Che. All his power surged frenziedly, gathering into his arms, causing both arms to swell to three times their normal size in the blink of an eye. The overflowing violent profound energy threw the air currents into chaos and made space tremble.
"Annihilation of Heaven and Earth!!"
The moment Long Que smashed out, space twisted drastically. Spectators miles away all held their breath, as if in that instant, all the air in the world had been sucked away... Yun Che once again unleashed the most terrifying move in all his techniques! The sword saint's strength had exceeded his expectations, and his only chance for victory lay in this all-out sudden strike!!
Confronting this sword, Ling Tianni's expression shifted rapidly.
As the number one of Cang Feng, Ling Tianni possessed strength unmatched by anyone in the kingdom. In all of Cang Feng, it was absolutely impossible for anyone's profound power to surpass his.
But the power erupting from Yun Che's sword at this moment clearly exceeded even his own limits!! It was a terrifying force that even with his full effort, he could never release! In that instant, the Yun Che in his pupils vaguely transformed into a rampaging ancient dragon!
Nineteen years old... Level 7 Earth Xuan... how could he possibly unleash such power?!
In shock, Ling Tianni's entire body swelled with muscle. He released his profound energy at full capacity without reservation! He stepped with a strange footwork, and a layer of milky-white light rapidly formed on the surface of his body.
Crash!!
A crisp, piercing sound rang out. The seven-colored sword beam, containing vast sword intent, was easily shattered into countless fragments by Long Que's savage power. The power of the Evil God and the heavy sword surged upward against the sky, like a roaring dragon charging heavenward, completely engulfing Ling Tianni. When it collided with the milky-white light on his body, an eerie rumble spread throughout the entire imperial city, drowning out all startled screams around them.
Faced with such terrifying power, even Ling Tianni had no choice but to defend with all his strength. But when the force of "Annihilation of Heaven and Earth" clashed with the sword saint's protective power, the laws of the True God's power and the suppression of raw strength—double suppression—determined the victor. The milky-white light was rapidly destroyed and consumed. In less than three breaths, it had thinned by half, teetering on the edge of collapse... At this moment, two sharp sword lights flashed in Ling Tianni's eyes...
"Heavenly Sword Domain!!"
Ling Tianni spread his arms wide. Tens of thousands of swords materialized around him in the void, whipping up a massive storm of blades that crazily slashed at the power of "Annihilation of Heaven and Earth."