Chapter 459: Harboring Evil Intentions
Feng Xue'er was indeed not injured, but her profound energy throughout her body could not be mobilized at all, leaving her so weakened she could barely stand, as if all her power had been firmly sealed away. Yun Che felt a slight relief, but then he turned his head sharply and glared at Feng Feiyan. "Feng Feiyan... have you lost your mind?!"
"Heheheh, Xue'er, I did this for your own good." Feng Feiyan wore a harmless smile. "Young Master Ye is the future master of the Sacred Ground. If you can marry him, that would be the most perfect destination in this world. But I know your imperial father would never agree to this, so I had to resort to a little trick. Once you completely belong to Young Master Ye within this Primordial Mystic Ark, and he shares the Phoenix God's body with you, even if your imperial father doesn't want to agree, he'll have to."
Yun Che gritted his teeth fiercely, his fists clenching tightly. No one would have expected that the Grand Elder of the Phoenix God Sect—a core figure second only to Feng Hengkong in status and prestige among their generation, and even the most trusted person of both Feng Hengkong and Feng Xue'er—had been harboring evil intentions all along! The current situation caused his heart to sink further... Feng Xue'er's profound energy seemed to be completely sealed by some powerful force, and neither he nor Xia Yuanba stood a chance against Ye Xinghan and Feng Feiyan. Especially he himself—in front of a true Overlord Emperor, his power was utterly worthless.
Ye Xinghan wanted to possess Feng Xue'er, and both he and Xia Yuanba would almost certainly be silenced!
Feng Xue'er's expression was sorrowful; her gaze was as hazy as if she were in a dream. "The passing of Lord Phoenix God... only I... Father... Grandfather... Great-Grandfather... and you knew... It was you... you..."
"That's right, I told Young Master Ye." Feng Feiyan admitted directly. "And not just the Sun Moon Divine Palace; the other three Sacred Grounds have probably received the news by now. After the Phoenix God left this world, your useless imperial father only thought of how to conceal this matter indefinitely, never truly considering what path the Phoenix God Sect should take without the Phoenix God's protection. Paper can never wrap fire. Only with the aid of the Sun Moon Divine Palace, under its future master, can the Phoenix God Sect enjoy ten thousand years of peace—that is the best future for our sect!"
Yun Che let out a cold laugh. "The path for the Phoenix God Sect? You're clearly finding a path for yourself! And you're willing to sell out the entire Phoenix God Sect for it! This is utterly despicable and shameless to the extreme!"
Yun Che's scolding didn't anger Feng Feiyan; instead, she laughed heartily. "Hahaha! If a man does not act for himself, heaven and earth will destroy him. Without the Phoenix God, the sect will inevitably decline rapidly, and might even become a vassal of the Four Sacred Grounds, never to regain its former glory. But as long as I faithfully serve Young Master Ye, heh, I believe Young Master Ye will recognize my loyalty and will certainly not treat me poorly."
"Naturally. What I like most is a clever person like Grand Elder." As Ye Xinghan spoke, his eyes were fixed firmly on Feng Xue'er's celestial beauty. He had bedded countless women, but only today did he realize a woman could be so stunningly beautiful. He even felt that the combined allure of every woman he had ever touched couldn't match even a fraction of her immortal charm.
He extended both hands, curling and uncurling his fingers impatiently, unable to wait any longer, eager to completely possess this girl who shouldn't belong to the mortal world.
Feng Xue'er's chest heaved violently. She had rarely encountered the outside world, having grown up under the most extreme protection, never knowing the world could be so treacherous. She closed her eyes and whispered sadly, "Why is it like this... This isn't real... Brother Yun... This isn't real..."
"You there... your name is Yun Che, isn't it?" Ye Xinghan stared at Yun Che, who was holding Feng Xue'er, his eyes exuding a chilling murderous intent. "Let go of my Xue'er immediately and get far away. I might consider leaving you with a whole corpse. My Xue'er's jade-like body is not something a waste like you is worthy of touching!"
Yun Che stood up, still holding Feng Xue'er, his eyes also filled with icy murderous intent. This matter had nothing to do with him or Xia Yuanba originally, but since they were present, they were implicated! Ye Xinghan and Feng Feiyan spoke without reservation in front of them, clearly treating them as already dead men.
"Brother Yun..." Feng Xue'er's voice was faint as she spoke from his arms. "I've been hit by the Phoenix-Sealing Forbidden Array... This is a forbidden array used in the sect to seal the profound power of disciples who have committed grave sins... I have the protection of the Phoenix God's power, but for the next twelve hours, I will be completely powerless... I don't want... to be taken by that villain... So... Brother Yun... please... kill me... will you..."
Yun Che's heart clenched violently. He saw Feng Xue'er's beautiful eyes had become dim, their once rippling brilliance now only filled with sorrow and despair. He took a deep, heavy breath, held her even tighter, and said gently, "Xue'er, don't be afraid. Unless I die... I won't let anyone harm you!"
Some color returned to Feng Xue'er's eyes. She gazed tenderly into Yun Che's eyes, her voice as faint as a passing cloud. "Brother Yun..."
"Seeking death!" Seeing that Yun Che not only refused to put Feng Xue'er down but held her even closer, Ye Xinghan flew into a rage. He had not even touched a single corner of Feng Xue'er's clothes—the woman who had aroused the greatest desire of his life—and now she was being held in the arms of this waste he considered beneath him! He flicked his wrist, and a cold, gleaming jade fan appeared in his right hand.
This jade fan was Ye Xinghan's personal belonging—it was far more than just a fan. The moment it appeared in his hand, even Feng Feiyan beside him had a flicker in her eyes... This fan was called "Sun Moon Calamity," forged mainly from Brahma Heaven Jade that had absorbed the essence of sun and moon for ten thousand years. It was one of only ten Overlord Xuan Artifacts in all of Tian Xuan Continent. With this "Sun Moon Calamity," Ye Xinghan's combat power was elevated by at least three levels; even against Feng Feiyan, who was at Level 8 of the Overlord Xuan Realm, he could hold his own.
The Sun Moon Calamity glinted coldly. As Ye Xinghan flicked his wrist, a crescent-shaped profound light shot out directly at Yun Che's throat. Wherever the profound light passed, space was brutally torn apart, producing a harsh, tearing sound.
Xia Yuanba's tall figure flashed and blocked Yun Che's path. His fist, solid as a rock, smashed out furiously... With a loud boom, the terrifying crescent profound light exploded in midair, while a one-inch-long gash appeared on the back of Xia Yuanba's hand. His face dark and grim, Xia Yuanba gritted his teeth and said in a low voice, "Brother-in-law, run! Run now!"
"Yuanba..."
"RUN!!!!"
Xia Yuanba's roar shook Yun Che's entire body, and his hands clenched tightly. The situation was clear to Xia Yuanba, and even clearer to Yun Che... Seeing Xia Yuanba's back and the resolute aura emanating from him, Yun Che didn't waste any more time. He gritted his teeth, forced himself to turn around, and said, "Yuanba, don't die... Remember the teleportation jade stone you have... Don't die!"
With Yun Che's current strength, he was utterly outmatched against Feng Feiyan and Ye Xinghan. Staying would be useless—only a dead end. If he let Xia Yuanba hold them off while he fled with all his might, carrying Feng Xue'er, there might be a sliver of hope for him and Feng Xue'er to escape calamity... But Xia Yuanba would be placed in mortal danger.
After speaking, Yun Che bit his tongue hard, tore his gaze away from Xia Yuanba, and ran eastward with Feng Xue'er. He didn't look back, but blood trickled from between his fingers.
"Want to run?" Feng Feiyan sneered and was about to give chase, but Ye Xinghan raised his hand and said with a grin, "Isn't it better if they run?"
Feng Feiyan was startled. "Young Master means?"
"With that waste Yun Che, can he really escape our grasp?" Ye Xinghan laughed contemptuously. "On the contrary, since he's carrying my Xue'er far away, we can properly see this disciple of Gu Cang off. After all, he's also a Mid-stage Overlord Emperor. Killing him will cause quite a commotion. Xue'er's profound power is sealed now—she can't protect herself at all. If she gets caught in the blast, even if just a hair is damaged, I'd be heartbroken."
Feng Feiyan nodded slowly. "I see. Young Master is truly thorough... But this Xia Yuanba is still a disciple of Gu Cang. Is there really no problem?"
"This Primordial Mystic Ark is the perfect place to kill. No matter who dies here, there will be no consequences. The only ones who know about this are you, me, Xue'er, and Yun Che, who will soon be a dead man. My perfect Xue'er will soon be beneath me, and as long as she becomes my woman, my profound art will plant a permanent profound imprint in her. Her every action, word, and thought will obey my will. She will never be able to reveal this to anyone. Grand Elder, do you still have doubts?"
"Of course not." Feng Feiyan let out a sinister laugh. "Then I'll trouble Young Master to join forces with me. If I were alone, defeating him would be easy, but killing him would be a bit difficult. If he somehow escapes, that would be troublesome."
Listening to Feng Feiyan and Ye Xinghan's exchange, Xia Yuanba remained silent and motionless, every muscle on his body bulging as profound energy surged wildly both inside and out. When he heard they didn't plan to split up and chase Yun Che but instead chose to join forces to ensure his death, he felt a surge of joy instead—because that meant he could at least hold them both off at once, buying Yun Che a little more time and opportunity to escape!
Crack, crack, crack...
Xia Yuanba's joints popped like exploding beans. His blood vessels bulged, nearly bursting, as he stared fixedly at Ye Xinghan and Feng Feiyan, who were calmly treating him as a dead man...
Brother-in-law, I finally have the ability and the chance to protect you. This time, I'll stake my life—no matter what, I won't let anyone harm you!
"Let's send him on his way." Ye Xinghan flicked his jade fan, sending dozens of crescent profound lights straight at Xia Yuanba's vital points.
"Die!" Feng Feiyan roared wildly as flames erupted from her body, instantly blotting out the sky. A sea of fire descended from the heavens, engulfing Xia Yuanba's figure completely.
[This week has been too busy. I have to go to the imperial capital tonight and won't return until Sunday. Please bear with me for a few days. After returning from the imperial capital, I'll resume updating 2-3 chapters per day.]