Chapter 373: Extreme Deterrence
Feng Xichen had already fainted dead away. His injuries were horrific, but none were fatal. The old men in black and red breathed a great sigh of relief, but the rage and resentment in their hearts could not be quelled. However, they were no match for Yun Che. Even if their hatred were ten times stronger, they had to endure it. The two stepped forward, faced Cang Wanhe, lowered their heads, and said: “We thank the Cangfeng Emperor… for his grace.”
“Heh, no need.” Cang Wanhe raised his hand slightly, his imperial dignity fully displayed. “The seven nations of Cangfeng share the same breath. A falling out would benefit no one. What happened today ultimately resulted in severe injury to your prince, but it was instigated by you. You cannot deny that, can you? And if this matter gets out, it will benefit neither you nor us, but instead bring unforeseeable consequences. Therefore, as you said earlier, let today’s events be as if they never happened. As for those present, I guarantee not a single one will speak of it. Otherwise, even before you make a move, I will be the first to show them no mercy. Do you have any objections to this?”
After the Cangfeng Emperor finished speaking, his majestic gaze swept the surroundings. Ling Jie immediately stepped forward and declared loudly: “Rest assured, Your Majesty. I, Ling Jie of Tian Jian Villa, and my elder brother Ling Yun, will absolutely not divulge this to anyone… not even our father. This I swear! If I break this oath, may heaven and earth destroy me!”
Ling Jie’s lead was followed by the others, who also swore oaths not to reveal today’s events to anyone.
If it had been any other powerful nation or sect instead of the Fenghuang God Sect that had come today, today’s events would have forged an unbreakable enmity unto death. But the Fenghuang God Sect was far too powerful. When that power was so dazzling and unshakable, it naturally formed a kind of burden of glory—that the glory and dignity of the Fenghuang God Sect could never be trampled or humiliated, especially by those who were originally far weaker.
Thus, this outcome let the two elders in black and red breathe another long sigh of relief. They scanned the crowd with a warning glance, then without another word, they lifted Feng Xichen and fled in disgrace, quickly disappearing from everyone’s sight. Yun Che’s voice followed them in the direction they fled:
“Listen well. Five months from now, I will personally travel to Shenhuang Empire to participate in the Seven Nations Ranking Battle! You’d better prepare well, and try your best to make sure I never return. Don’t disappoint me~”
This sudden, enormous threat from the Fenghuang God Sect had been ended in a way no one could have imagined.
When Feng Xichen and his two companions had appeared and targeted Yun Che, everyone thought Yun Che was finished for good. But not only did Yun Che emerge completely unscathed and without loss, he had instead beaten the three from Fenghuang God Sect to a pulp with his astonishing strength and seized their fatal weakness. His power and cunning were certainly terrifying, but even more frightening was his ruthless, domineering, and decisive nature. Not long ago, he had annihilated Fen Tian Gate, shocking all of Cangfeng. But compared to today, that feat seemed like nothing at all!
The arrival of the Fenghuang God Sect had not brought any negative consequences to Yun Che. On the contrary, his prestige and deterrence had skyrocketed. To them now, calling him “the number one man of Cangfeng” was insufficient. The looks they gave him grew increasingly filled with admiration, shock, and fear.
Yun Che turned around and said with a calm smile: “Everyone, my apologies. I casually dealt with a few clowns and spoiled the mood. Please return to your seats. Today is my wedding day, and I intend to ensure all honored guests leave satisfied. As for what just happened…” Yun Che’s eyes narrowed. “You’ve all surely forgotten it already, right?”
A prince of the mighty Shenhuang Empire was merely a “clown” that Yun Che had “casually dealt with.” Everyone present felt their hearts twitch violently. And Yun Che’s final words carried a threat that pierced straight into their souls. Now, Yun Che’s words were undoubtedly an unassailable imperial decree. Everyone present hurriedly responded, voices mixing in chaos as they frantically promised they had already forgotten today’s events. Then they returned to the wedding hall, not a single person daring to leave early. And these big shots, who were so arrogant in their own territories, now walked especially slowly and moved with restraint. The Sect Master of the Xiao Sect, in particular, didn’t even dare to sit too heavily when he returned to his seat.
As for Crown Prince Cang Lin and Third Prince Cang Shuo, who had guilty consciences, their faces were pale. Even in the sweltering summer, they felt cold all over and kept wiping away cold sweat. Compared to the Shenhuang prince, they were nothing at all. Yun Che dared to trample even a Shenhuang prince underfoot. Squashing them would be as easy as squashing an ant.
The roof of the wedding banquet hall had been smashed into a large hole by Yun Che himself. After a quick cleanup, the wedding continued, but the atmosphere had undergone a significant change. Especially when Yun Che offered toasts—those opposite him were all terrified, their frightened expressions almost making it seem they wished they could kneel to return the toast.
Strength does not always inspire fear. Take Ling Tianni, for example. For decades, he had been the number one man of Cangfeng, but people felt more respect, admiration, and reverence toward him, hardly any fear. That was because although Ling Tianni was extremely strong, he was overall a mild-mannered person. Only the most vicious criminals would fear him. But Yun Che was different. His strength was beyond anyone’s imagination, and his temperament was one of extreme vindictiveness, tyranny, and ruthlessness. A vast thousand-year sect had been annihilated just for capturing his family, even without harming them. And a Shenhuang prince—a super figure that few in the entire Tian Xuan Continent dared to provoke—had been beaten without hesitation, with his head stomped underfoot…
Such a temperament, combined with such strength—who would dare to provoke him? Who would dare to oppose him? Who would dare to show disrespect?
And this was the deterrent impact Yun Che had been deliberately cultivating all along.
All guests took their seats, and the wedding ceremony of Yun Che and Cang Yue continued. However, the master of ceremonies’ voice began to tremble and stammer occasionally, only recovering after a full quarter-hour. Soon, Xiao Lie took his seat, positioned level with Cang Wanhe. Everyone present made sure to memorize Xiao Lie’s face. It was this old man—with only Spirit Xuan Realm profound strength, a gentle demeanor, and a face full of the vicissitudes of life—who had caused the annihilation of Fen Tian Gate. The city lords and sect masters present studied Xiao Lie over and over, afraid that they might forget him one day, constantly reminding themselves that from now on, when they saw him, they must treat him like their own father. If they accidentally offended him… the consequence was annihilation!
The atmosphere of fear and restraint did not last too long. Amid the festive sounds of drums and gongs, it grew lively again. People gradually loosened up. In the midst of the clamor, Yun Che walked in from outside the main hall, holding a red silk ribbon. At the other end of the ribbon, Cang Yue, in her phoenix crown and bridal finery, was supported by Xiao Lingxi, walking forward shyly and timidly.
The earlier incident had startled Cang Yue, but now that everything had settled and Yun Che was unharmed, her heart went from a nervous “thump-thump” to another kind of nervous “thump-thump.”
The sunlight that day was especially soft. The shimmering rays illuminated her phoenix crown and bridal dress, making her radiant and dazzling, her brilliance blinding. The large golden-threaded phoenix crown was hung with long, thin pearl tassels, half-hiding the ruby dangling on her forehead and her snow-jade face tinged with delicate pink. Dark brows, snow-white skin, bright eyes, cherry lips—her delicate and moving form, combined with her shyness and the half-concealment of the pearl tassels, doubled her charm. She was like a celestial maiden descended to earth, too beautiful to belong to the mortal world…
Today was undoubtedly the most beautiful moment of her life. At this moment, she was like a fairy stepping out of a painting, so stunning that no one could look away.
Her beauty, along with her natural grace and elegance, instantly conquered everyone who had seen her or not, making them unconsciously hold their breath and stare blankly. Especially Ling Jie, who had a huge crush on Cang Yue—he was completely entranced, drool running down his chin.
She was the only princess of the Cangfeng imperial clan, the most noble woman in all of Cangfeng. At the same time, she possessed a beauty that could topple cities and kingdoms, and a gentleness that could captivate any man. It seemed the Creator had bestowed all favor upon her. The guests present could not help but sigh deeply in their hearts. Only Yun Che was worthy of such a proud daughter of heaven, and only such a proud daughter was worthy of Yun Che, who, at less than twenty years old, had already reached the pinnacle of Cangfeng.
Cang Yue stared at her own toes, counting her heartbeats. Supported by Xiao Lingxi, she held the red silk ribbon firmly and moved forward step by step. With each step, a scene belonging only to her and Yun Che floated in her heart—their first meeting at New Moon City, fleeing together, sharing hardships, unconsciously falling in love, then the separation of life and death at Tian Jian Villa, the bitter grief and longing during that time, and the joy like a dream when she saw him again. From today on, she would be his wife, spending the rest of her life with him. Everything about him would merge into her life, and everything about her would belong completely to him.
All of this felt like a splendid dream, too happy to feel real.
The deafening sounds of drums, gongs, and joyful music lingered in her ears. Before the hall, in front of Cang Wanhe and Xiao Lie, witnessed by countless high-ranking figures of Cangfeng, under the master of ceremonies’ drawn-out cries, they began the wedding vows:
“First bow to Heaven and Earth!”
“Second bow to the elders!”
“Husband and wife bow to each other!”
…
At the same time, in the far west of the Tian Xuan Continent, in the Black Fiend Empire—a perpetually gloomy, bone-chilling, desolate land of extreme evil.
Tap… tap… tap…
A heavy footstep sounded in the sinister mist. As the view drew closer, a hunched figure was dragging his body forward step by step. His pace was slow and heavy, as if each step required immense effort and willpower. His clothes were tattered, his body covered in wounds and blood. Even his face bore over a dozen bloody gashes. He dragged a long blade behind him—the edge was severely curled, the blade damaged in many places, covered in both long-dried and freshly stained blood…
Plop!
The figure collapsed heavily onto the ground. He pressed his hands against the ground, his whole body trembling, hoarse growls escaping his lips. But he couldn’t get up for a long time. So he grabbed the ground with his hands and crawled forward inch by inch, leaving behind a trail of shocking bloodstains…
“Yun Che… I will kill you… even if I am ground to dust… I will kill you!!!!”
A low, painful, and hate-filled roar escaped from the corners of his mouth. He had repeated this phrase countless times, already deeply engraved into his soul, becoming almost the sole belief of his life now.
…