Chapter 437: Escalation
"Phoenix... Phoenix Flame!?"
"That's right! That is indeed the aura of Phoenix Flame. No other profound fire can imitate it."
"Why can Yun Che burn Phoenix Flame? Doesn't Phoenix Flame require Phoenix bloodline to ignite? Could it be... that Yun Che also possesses Phoenix bloodline?"
"Yun Che cannot possibly be a member of the Fenghuang God Sect. Otherwise, there's no way he would represent the Cang Feng Kingdom in battle and dare to provoke the Shenhuang Empire... Could he be a lost bloodline of the Fenghuang God Sect?"
"But the Fenghuang God Sect absolutely forbids any leakage of Phoenix bloodline..."
The Phoenix Flame ignited by Yun Che shocked the eyes of everyone present. No one had expected such an unforeseen development right before the final battle was about to begin.
Not to mention the spectators, even the people of the Four Sacred Grounds looked astonished.
"Heh, it seems there's going to be quite a show to watch." Ye Xinghan squinted his eyes, adopting a posture of enjoying the spectacle. He glanced at Ling Kun and said lazily, "Elder Ling, it seems you're not surprised at all."
"That's because I knew this kid possessed Phoenix bloodline as early as two years ago," Ling Kun replied.
"Oh?"
"If my guess is correct, his reason for participating in this Seven Nations Ranking Tournament was to resolve the matter of his Phoenix bloodline under pressure from the Fenghuang God Sect. However, the way he's resolving it is quite intriguing... Let's watch what happens next alongside the Young Palace Master. But I don't think Yun Che is simply seeking death." Ling Kun leaned back in his seat, also adopting a posture of enjoying the show.
Feng Feiyan was closest to Yun Che. He never imagined that Yun Che would brazenly ignite Phoenix Flame in front of everyone, exposing the fact that he possessed Phoenix bloodline. Since this was already the case, he could no longer remain silent. Frowning deeply, he said sternly, "Yun Che! Our sect had planned to settle the matter of you carrying our Phoenix bloodline after the ranking tournament, so as not to affect the competition's progress. But it seems you couldn't wait any longer!"
"Yes, I couldn't wait any longer." Yun Che turned sideways, his expression cold and fearless: "Because your Fenghuang God Sect owes me an explanation!!"
As soon as Yun Che said this, it was like a thunderclap in a clear sky, stunning everyone present.
The Fenghuang God Sect, which dominated the seven nations and was unshakable... owed him... an explanation?
A Cang Feng profound practitioner, daring to demand an explanation from the Fenghuang God Sect?
Feng Feiyan was taken aback, then didn't know whether to be angry or laugh: "The Fenghuang God Sect owes you an explanation? Hahahaha... In my entire life, I've never heard such a ridiculous joke."
Yun Che's expression remained impassive as he enunciated each word clearly: "Half a year ago, in the Cangfeng Imperial City, I held a wedding ceremony with my wife Cang Yue in the imperial palace. That day was supposed to be a nationwide celebration, filled with joy. But..." Yun Che's gaze shifted and locked precisely onto the Thirteenth Prince Feng Xichen among the Shenhuang Empire delegation: "Your Thirteenth Prince of the Fenghuang God Sect, Feng Xichen, arrived uninvited with two others. Not only did he disrupt my wedding for no reason, but he also declared he would kill me on the spot. If not for the fact that your Thirteenth Prince was too weak and I beat him severely before driving him away, I might have already died on my wedding day..."
"I have no past grievances or recent enmities with your Fenghuang God Sect, yet you wanted to take my life based solely on the ridiculous word 'bloodline.' Is this the way of the Fenghuang God Sect!? If you still have any sense of shame, shouldn't you give me an explanation before the eyes of the world?!"
Yun Che's words were righteous and resounding, striking at everyone's hearts. Standing alone in this Shenhuang City, at the very headquarters of the Fenghuang God Sect, facing the core leaders of the Fenghuang God Sect and three million heroes from the Tian Xuan Continent, he showed no fear, harshly interrogating the number one sect in Tian Xuan.
Everyone's reaction was nothing but shock. They had never imagined that anyone—let alone a young profound practitioner under twenty from the Cang Feng Kingdom—could confront the entire Fenghuang God Sect without a trace of fear. How much boldness, courage, and fearlessness did that require?
And Yun Che's words gave those present a basic understanding of the grudge between him and the Fenghuang God Sect. Apparently, after learning that Yun Che possessed Phoenix bloodline, the Fenghuang God Sect had sent Feng Xichen half a year ago to deliver the invitation to the ranking tournament and deal with Yun Che at the same time... because half a year ago was precisely when the six nations received their invitations.
Bloodline was the greatest taboo of the Fenghuang God Sect, a fact known to all and considered justifiable. For any sect, core techniques must never be leaked, let alone the Phoenix bloodline, which was the soul of the Fenghuang God Sect.
But clearly, this Thirteenth Prince Feng Xichen had tried to show off his might against Yun Che, only to suffer a major defeat instead.
Feng Xichen's face flushed red as he sat on pins and needles under the gaze of the entire audience. Yun Che had publicly recounted what had happened that day, not only causing him to lose face and dignity but also thoroughly exposing the lies he had told Feng Ximing and Feng Hengkong... His hands clenched tightly, his mind dizzy, and he felt so suffocated he could almost faint. The other princes looked at him with mostly schadenfreude.
Feng Ximing stood up abruptly from his seat and roared, "How dare you! For five thousand years, our Fenghuang God Sect has guarded its bloodline with all our might, never allowing a single drop of Phoenix bloodline to leak out—this is known to all! And you are a bastard and half-breed accidentally lost by our sect! According to our sect's rules, you either return to the Fenghuang God Sect and never leave, or you face execution by our sect! My Thirteenth Brother, with his esteemed status, personally handled your matter, which was already giving you immense face and an opportunity. If you refuse to return to the Fenghuang God Sect, killing you is only natural and just! How dare you shout here?!"
"Hahahaha!" Yun Che laughed loudly and retorted, "Natural and just? Bullshit! I, Yun Che, was born in the Cang Feng Kingdom and grew up in the Cang Feng Kingdom. I have consumed none of your Fenghuang God Sect's resources, received none of your blessings, and have not even drunk a single drop of your water! Yet you say I must either submit or die—and you still have the face to call that natural and just? On what grounds!"
"On the grounds that you possess our Fenghuang God Sect's bloodline! On the grounds that you are a bastard who leaked out of our sect!" Feng Ximing said sternly.
"Ridiculous!" Yun Che sneered contemptuously. "And what makes you so sure that the Phoenix bloodline on my body comes from your Fenghuang God Sect!"
"Does that need proof?" Feng Ximing sneered back. "Our sect's Phoenix bloodline comes from the blessing of the Phoenix God, allowing it to propagate and form today's Fenghuang God Sect. In the entire Tian Xuan Continent, only our Fenghuang God Sect possesses Phoenix bloodline!"
"Is that so?" Yun Che said slowly. "Then how do you know that my Phoenix bloodline doesn't come from another Phoenix God's inheritance? The Phoenix divine beast perished long ago. The 'Phoenix God' you speak of is a tiny fragment of the soul that the Phoenix divine beast dispersed to preserve its bloodline, scattered across every corner of the world. Even on the same continent, there can be more than one, not just a single one. You were able to obtain the inheritance, so why do you think others cannot!"
As soon as Yun Che said this, the people of the Fenghuang God Sect all changed color. Feng Feiyan's face darkened sharply as he growled, "Presumptuous little brat! How dare you blaspheme our sect's Phoenix God... Believe me, I'll kill you right now!"
"Heh, wasting my breath arguing with you is just a waste of energy." Yun Che sneered. With a howl before him, he swung Long Que and pointed it at Feng Xiluo, the sword bursting with Phoenix Flame: "You say I, Yun Che, am a bastard who leaked out of your Fenghuang God Sect? Fine! Then let's see if there is anyone among your Fenghuang God Sect of similar age to me who can make me fall here! If the younger generation of your Fenghuang God Sect, with its orthodox bloodline, doesn't even have a single person who can defeat me, doesn't that prove that you are the real bastards!"
"This is absolutely outrageous!" If it weren't for the public gaze, the presence of the Four Sacred Grounds, and the fact that this was the Seven Nations Ranking Tournament, Feng Feiyan wished he could ignore his status as Grand Elder and personally go up to slap Yun Che to death. With the Fenghuang God Sect's overwhelming might dominating the world, everyone before them trembled with fear and respect; no one had ever dared to challenge their authority like this.
Pointing at Yun Che, he said with a dark face, "Good, very good... A bastard carrying our Phoenix bloodline, yet daring to be so arrogant and rampant... Very good! Fourteenth Prince, hold nothing back! Let this bastard know what true Phoenix bloodline is!"
"Rest assured, Grand Elder." Feng Xiluo replied calmly, his eyes narrowing as he stared at Yun Che, speaking in a low voice: "Heh, originally, I just wanted to make you roll off the Phoenix Stage in disgrace. But now, I've changed my mind. If I accidentally cripple your limbs or bloodline later, don't blame me."
"I'm afraid the one who gets crippled will be you," Yun Che said coldly.
"Still arrogant even at death's door. How pathetic and laughable!" Feng Xiluo raised both arms, Phoenix Flame igniting in both palms. Just as he was about to move forward, a profound voice transmission from Feng Hengkong reached his ear:
"Don't underestimate him! Go all out... and kill him directly!"
Feng Xiluo was startled, then changed his hand gesture. A crimson lightning bolt howled between his hands, transforming into an eight-foot-long spear, its entire body glowing red like hot iron.
"It's a King Xuan weapon... the Phoenix God Spear!! The Fourteenth Prince actually brought out the Phoenix God Spear right from the start!"
"It seems the prince is thoroughly enraged. He probably wants to make Yun Che suffer a humiliating defeat as quickly as possible, so he can't say another word."
"With the Phoenix God Spear out... how many moves do you think it will take for the prince to defeat him?" a disciple of the Fenghuang God Sect said leisurely.
"Seven moves," another disciple replied casually.
"Seven moves? You're overestimating that Cang Feng brat." The disciple in front of him curled his lips and sneered, "At most five moves, and that kid will be burned so badly his own father won't recognize him!"
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