# Chapter 702: Breaking Through the Air
As night fell, Shenhuang City still hadn't quieted down. The Phoenix disciples searching for traces of Yun Che continued stubbornly blundering about like headless flies. Having found nothing after an entire day, they were all both angry and frustrated, too ashamed to return and report their failure. Their emotions grew more agitated, and they began forcefully breaking into shops, sect compounds, medical clinics, and even private residences to search—almost any space large enough to conceal a person was turned upside down.
Of course, except for the Black Moon Merchant Guild.
Even so, they still hadn't found even half a shadow of Yun Che. Instead, they had stirred up widespread resentment throughout Shenhuang City—anger that people dared not voice aloud.
It wasn't until midnight that the search finally ceased, but the Fenghuang God Sect was still brightly lit. Having mobilized nearly the entire sect's strength without finding any trace of Yun Che left the whole sect shocked, and the atmosphere grew exceptionally oppressive. Feng Hengkong and all the elders were unable to sleep, gathered in the Phoenix Great Hall discussing how to deal with Yun Che throughout the night... Given the arrogant words Yun Che had thrown down before escaping, he would certainly come again tomorrow!
This time, they had to kill him no matter what. His first escape unharmed could still be explained as being caught off guard by his unusual speed. But if he came to them a second time and they still failed to kill him, then the entire Tian Xuan Continent would laugh at the Fenghuang God Sect, and even their five-thousand-year-old Phoenix deterrent power would plummet.
——————————
After a day and half a night of chaos, the next day's Shenhuang City was eerily quiet. In the Fenghuang God Sect especially, the atmosphere was as oppressive as if it were under a huge lid, and everyone seemed to be holding their breath deliberately.
Throughout Shenhuang City, people kept looking toward Phoenix City, but they could no longer see the Phoenix God statue that had radiated such immense pressure.
At the Fenghuang God Sect, Feng Hengkong had not slept all night and had not left the sect either. He stood before the Phoenix Great Hall, staring up at the sky, his entire body releasing an aura of killing intent that made people tremble with fear... The Phoenix God statue had been destroyed, his son had been killed, Yun Che had escaped, and after a full day and night, they still hadn't found even a trace of the enemy. Now they could only passively wait for him to show up himself. The fury and resentment in his heart had long since reached an unbearable level.
"Sect Master." The thirty-eighth elder, Feng Yunzhi, walked over.
"Have you found where Yun Che is hiding?" Feng Hengkong asked expressionlessly. His tone made it clear that he held no hope whatsoever for the answer to his question.
Feng Yunzhi shook his head, then said in a low voice: "It's been a full day and night... The burial ceremony for the fourteenth prince should... should also..."
Feng Hengkong's brow furrowed as if a steel needle had pierced it, spasming violently. Feng Xiluo hadn't just died—not even a single fragment of his body remained. Every time he thought of this, it felt like his heart was being torn apart. He said in an extremely low voice: "Yun Che hasn't been captured yet... His life and blood must be used to comfort Luo'er's departed soul!"
Feng Yunzhi bowed his head and sighed softly: "I understand. Yesterday we were unprepared, which is why he escaped. If he comes again today, there will be no chance of him leaving alive. After a full day and night of searching the city with no trace of Yun Che, he has clearly already fled Shenhuang City. We have informants stationed in every corner of the city now. The moment he enters the city, we will detect him immediately, then swiftly notify the sect. We'll wait quietly for him to walk into our trap."
"Any activity now?" Feng Hengkong asked.
"None." Feng Yunzhi shook his head again. "Today is different from yesterday. When he comes, he will certainly be extremely cautious. It's very likely he'll act after dark. Hmph... This time, either he doesn't come, but once he sets foot inside our imperial city, we will know at once. When he nears Phoenix City, in an instant, we can..."
"AHHHHHHH... SAVE ME... FATHER, SAVE ME!!"
At that moment, a scream of utter terror tore through the air like a thunderbolt crashing down on the oppressive silence of Phoenix City. Feng Hengkong and Feng Yunzhi's expressions changed dramatically at the same time. All the Phoenix elders and disciples still in Phoenix City came swarming out, looking toward the source of the scream.
BOOM!!
With a thunderous explosion, a palace less than a mile from the Phoenix Great Hall detonated into rubble... And it was the palace of a prince! Amidst the flames and dust erupting into the sky, one figure was lifting another figure high into the air, soaring up to a hundred zhang. The hoarse, terrified screams came from that hundred-zhang height.
Looking at the two figures in the sky, everyone in Phoenix City wore expressions of utter horror.
"Yun... Yun Che!!"
"The thirteenth prince... That's the thirteenth prince!!"
The one screaming in terror was none other than the thirteenth prince of the Shenhuang Empire, Feng Xichen. And the one holding him by the back of the neck, raising him into the air, was unmistakably Yun Che!! His eyes were half-lidded, on his face the same cold sneer as yesterday, proudly looking down on all the living beings below.
"Im... impossible! When did he... impossible!!" Feng Yunzhi's eyes dilated until they almost burst. Just moments ago, he had been assuring Feng Hengkong that if Yun Che even set foot half a step inside Shenhuang City, they would know immediately—let alone getting close to Phoenix City.
But the moment he finished saying that, Yun Che appeared right in the center of their Phoenix City, with the thirteenth prince Feng Xichen in his grasp!!
From Shenhuang City, to Phoenix City, to the thirteenth prince's palace... Until Feng Xichen fell into Yun Che's hands—not a single person had detected him!!
The overlord of the seven nations of Tian Xuan, the heart of the Shenhuang Empire, a near-sacred-ground-level sect with five thousand years of history—Yun Che had infiltrated it as if walking through an empty space!!
Feng Yunzhi was hoarsely shouting "impossible"... All the Phoenix elders and disciples couldn't believe their own eyes either.
"Feng Hengkong, we meet again after a day apart. I said I would come today, and I haven't broken my promise in the slightest." Yun Che looked down, letting Feng Xichen in his hand scream hoarsely. He had chosen Feng Xichen today for a reason, of course. As someone who never forgot a grudge, he hadn't forgotten how this thirteenth prince had forcefully disrupted his wedding with Cang Yue and arrogantly declared he would "clean house" on the spot back then. At the time, due to his own weak strength and various other concerns, he couldn't kill Feng Xichen. But today was different: "It's a shame that you people of the Fenghuang God Sect have no manners. I strolled all the way from Shenhuang City into Phoenix City, and not a single person greeted me. Your sect's hospitality is truly disappointing."
It wasn't actually difficult for Yun Che to enter Phoenix City without being detected. He concealed his aura with Flowing Light Thunder Concealment, entered Shenhuang City, casually killed a lone Phoenix disciple, read his memories with Mystic Firmament Soul-Seizing, then disguised himself as that disciple and swaggered into Phoenix City... He could naturally release Phoenix aura from his body anyway. Disguise, memories, profound aura—everything was perfectly flawless. Even if he walked right past Feng Hengkong, the sect master might not sense anything amiss, let alone anyone else.
"Put down the thirteenth prince!!" roared a Phoenix elder closest to Yun Che, his lips trembling.
Feng Hengkong's face had turned a purple-blue. The image of Feng Xiluo being blasted apart before his eyes yesterday was still fresh in his mind, and he hadn't recovered from it even now. Now another of his sons was being held hostage by Yun Che. He pointed at Yun Che, every cell in his body trembling violently from extreme hatred: "Yun Che... if you dare lay a hand on him, I... I will make you pay a thousand... ten thousand times over!!"
"Heh, you said something like that more than once yesterday too, but it didn't seem to do you any good. When your son was supposed to die, he still died." Even if Feng Hengkong's threats were a hundred times more venomous, they couldn't intimidate Yun Che in the slightest. He said with a smile: "But you don't need to get so worked up. After all, you are the emperor of the Shenhuang Empire. You can't forget your imperial dignity no matter what, right? Besides, this son of yours isn't dead yet. Of course, if you continue to be as ungrateful as yesterday, then who knows?"
"Father... save me... save me..."
All of Feng Xichen's strength was sealed, so he couldn't struggle at all. He could only scream and beg with all his might. Back when he was in the Cang Feng Kingdom, he had experienced Yun Che's ruthlessness firsthand. Yesterday, Feng Xiluo had died miserably at Yun Che's hands. He knew very well that the person behind him was a true devil who would actually kill him, not just scare him. The Phoenix deterrent that could make all seven kingdoms' sects tremble in fear had no effect on him whatsoever.
"Shut up! You are a Shenhuang prince—when did I ever teach you to be so cravenly afraid of death?! You have utterly disgraced the Fenghuang God Sect!" Feng Hengkong roared, but his voice was already trembling. He had held in his hatred all day and night, wanting to personally torture and kill Yun Che to avenge his son when the culprit "came to him." Now Yun Che was right before his eyes. The power he was surging made the space around his body constantly distort, but he couldn't make a move against Yun Che at all.
Because in Yun Che's hands was another of his sons!
Grand Elder Feng Feilie quickly transmitted to Feng Hengkong: "Sect Master, this Yun Che is clearly a madman who will do anything. Now that the thirteenth prince has fallen into his hands, we must not provoke him further... He is only holding the thirteenth prince hostage without killing him, clearly wanting to threaten us into agreeing to yesterday's conditions again. For the time being, let's go along with him and agree to his conditions... In any case, we must first secure the thirteenth prince! The fourteenth prince is already gone—we absolutely cannot lose another prince."
Even from over ten miles away, one could clearly feel the killing intent and fury radiating from Feng Hengkong. Dozens of Phoenix elders rose from various positions, reaching the same height as Yun Che, surrounding him in a massive encirclement. Feng Feilie took a deep breath and said: "Yun Che, being able to infiltrate our Fenghuang God Sect without a sound and seize the thirteenth prince is indeed a testament to your extraordinary abilities. Today, we have no choice but to concede defeat once more. Very well. If you release the thirteenth prince, then the three conditions you proposed yesterday—our Fenghuang God Sect can agree to all of them."
All the Phoenix disciples were startled, then quickly realized that given the Fenghuang God Sect's position and dignity, they would never actually carry out those three conditions from yesterday. This was clearly Grand Elder's delaying tactic. Given Yun Che's ruthless methods, this was indeed the only way.
Once the thirteenth prince was rescued, everything that followed would naturally be entirely out of Yun Che's hands.
"Oh? The three conditions from yesterday?" Yun Che's gaze held a dangerous mockery. "What do the three conditions from yesterday have to do with today? Grand Elder's memory doesn't seem very good. Yesterday I said very clearly that those three conditions were the most generous opportunity I, Yun Che, was granting you with the greatest mercy of my life. But you were ungrateful and refused. Don't tell me you're still dreaming that today will have the same conditions as yesterday?"
"You!!" The profound energy around Feng Hengkong abruptly exploded, instantly smashing through two thick pillars behind him in the Phoenix Great Hall.
Feng Feilie quickly signaled Feng Hengkong with his eyes, suppressing the fury in his heart with great effort, and said: "Fine... Go ahead and tell us what conditions you have today!"
"As expected of the new Grand Elder who replaced Feng Feiyan—very straightforward." Yun Che nodded approvingly, then flipped his palm and lifted Feng Xichen higher into the air, drawing another terrified scream from him: "Then listen carefully."
"First: Within twenty-five days, all Shenhuang troops must withdraw from our Cang Feng Kingdom's territory. Not a single person or strand of hair can remain, and they must not encroach even half a step for two hundred years!"
"Second: Feng Hengkong personally drafts an edict of apology to our Cang Feng Kingdom and announces it to the world! Then the Phoenix Grand Elder will personally deliver the apology letter to the Cangfeng Imperial Clan and apologize in person!"
"Third: Compensate our Cang Feng Kingdom with twenty billion purple profound coins!"
The three conditions Yun Che stated were still withdrawal, apology, and compensation, but each was far harsher than yesterday's. The compensation especially was double what he had demanded yesterday.
This time, not to mention Feng Hengkong—even the lowest-level Phoenix disciples were trembling with rage. But Yun Che's words weren't finished yet...
"Fourth: Cede the Red Qiong City located at your Shenhuang Empire's northeastern border to our Cang Feng Kingdom!"