Chapter 704: The Divine Phoenix Army Courting Death
Black Moon Merchant Guild.
"Another imperial prince?"
Zi Ji faced a special sound transmission profound formation, a faint expression of surprise on his face. He then asked, "And how many people from the Phoenix God Sect did he kill today?"
"Aside from the Thirteenth Imperial Prince Feng Xichen, there were also nine guarding disciples from his hall, making ten in total. However, under the assault of a group of Phoenix elders, a large number of Phoenix disciples were caught in the crossfire and injured." A respectful voice came from the profound formation.
"Ten people?" Zi Ji raised an eyebrow slightly. "In just two days, he has killed two imperial princes of the Phoenix God Sect in succession. He has already pushed the sect's hatred to its absolute limit. There is no reason for him to show any mercy or hold back. But yesterday, he only killed Feng Xiluo alone, and today, only ten... He is not someone known for being soft-hearted. It really is quite strange."
"One... ten... oh?" Zi Ji pondered for a moment, then, as if something occurred to him, he asked, "When he made his demands to the Phoenix God Sect today, were they still the same three conditions as yesterday?"
"No!" The voice from the profound formation denied this, then quickly stated the four conditions Yun Che had proposed that day.
"...I see." Zi Ji slowly nodded, then let out a heavy sigh. "At twenty-two years of age, to possess such terrifying cunning. It seems he not only wants the Phoenix God Sect to pay a bloody price, but also wants them to experience an increasingly dark nightmare, destroying even their beliefs and dignity step by step..."
"Truly terrifying..." Zi Ji murmured to himself, scenes of intelligence reports on Yun Che flashing through his mind. On his face, weathered by a thousand years of vicissitudes, there even appeared a momentary flicker of fear. "The Phoenix God Sect possesses undeniable strength. Especially with the protection of the Phoenix God, even the Four Sacred Grounds would never dare to truly provoke them. But this time, they have provoked a true demon. In some respects, he is far more terrifying than the Four Sacred Grounds."
In this short speech, Zi Ji uttered the word "terrifying" three times in a row. Since Yun Che had left the July Merchant Guild yesterday, he had been closely following all of Yun Che's movements. And now, just one day later, his impression of Yun Che had undergone another dramatic shift.
In the profound realm, even when there were mutual grievances, any rational and experienced person would know to "leave a way out." Especially when sects and powers were involved, no matter how great the enmity, one should always leave some room for maneuver. But Yun Che seemed to have no idea what "room for maneuver" meant.
Zi Ji's gaze swept across the Shenhuang City below, and he said slowly, "Today, there are no signs of chaos in Shenhuang City. It seems the Phoenix God Sect has temporarily given up searching within the city. From the looks of it, the old monsters of the 'Tian' generation have probably already been deployed."
"On the Phoenix God Sect's side, there has been no sign of any aura at the Lord Xuan Realm level, so it seems they haven't." came the reply from the profound formation.
"For a sect with five thousand years of history to be pushed to such a miserable state by a young man who is only at the King Xuan Realm, if it were me, I would probably also be too ashamed to disturb the old monsters who are cultivating in seclusion. But with two imperial princes dying tragically in succession, and the enemy emerging unscathed, they should have realized by now that Yun Che's speed is not something that can be countered by profound strength at the Overlord Emperor Realm. Could it be that they have other plans?"
"If my judgment is not mistaken, about an hour and a half ago, they began gathering the strength of several dozen Phoenix elders to construct a rather large Seal Phoenix Forbidden Array!"
"Seal Phoenix Forbidden Array?" Zi Ji's brows furrowed slightly. He was naturally very familiar with the name "Seal Phoenix Forbidden Array." It only existed within the Phoenix God Sect and was mostly used to punish disciples who had committed serious offenses. Once a Phoenix disciple was struck by the Seal Phoenix Forbidden Array, their entire Phoenix profound strength would be sealed for an extremely long time, or even completely abolished.
Even elders at the general level could cast the "Seal Phoenix Forbidden Array," but for several dozen elders to combine their strength to build the array seemed unprecedented.
The Seal Phoenix Forbidden Array had a greatly diminished effect on profound practitioners outside the Phoenix God Sect, but once a Phoenix disciple was caught in it, they would completely lose their profound strength.
Although Yun Che did not belong to the Phoenix God Sect, he also possessed Phoenix Bloodline. The profound strength under the Phoenix Bloodline would naturally be Phoenix profound strength as well. Therefore, if he were caught in the Seal Phoenix Forbidden Array, he would also become a lamb awaiting slaughter. Moreover, the array constructed by the combined power of several dozen Phoenix elders was definitely no ordinary Seal Phoenix Forbidden Array. It was highly likely to have an extremely large range. Once stepped into, it would activate instantly, forcibly sealing his Phoenix profound strength.
If that happened, even if Yun Che possessed the most heaven-defying speed, he would not be able to use it.
"This Seal Phoenix Forbidden Array is incredibly overbearing. It is said that three years ago, on the Primordial Mystic Ark, the Snow Princess, who possessed the Phoenix God Body, was sealed by it..." Zi Ji muttered to himself. Clearly, he did not doubt that if Yun Che fell into the Seal Phoenix Forbidden Array, he would undoubtedly die.
But he also had no intention whatsoever of warning Yun Che... because if Yun Che died, although he would find it regrettable, he would also feel much more at ease.
"Other than this, does the Phoenix God Sect have any other movements?" Zi Ji asked in a flat tone.
"None for now. However, reports from Cang Feng indicate that two Divine Phoenix Army legions stationed in the eastern and western regions of Cang Feng have made significant moves. About two hours ago, they dispatched their troops at roughly the same time. Each legion is about two hundred thousand strong, and both are heading directly for the Cangfeng Imperial City. Their marching speed is very fast. If there are no surprises, they will reach the Cangfeng Imperial City by the end of the next hour after dawn tomorrow."
"Additionally, the two supervising elders from the eastern and western armies are also marching with the troops."
"Just as I expected." Zi Ji was not at all surprised by the movements of the Cang Feng Divine Phoenix Army, because in such a short time, the Phoenix God Sect would not yet have learned of Xia Yuanba's existence. He raised his eyes to look in the direction of Phoenix City and let out a soft sigh. "Yun Che, Xia Yuanba... these two men who will inevitably shake the entire continent in the future were not born in the sacred grounds, but both came from Cang Feng, the most humble of places... How lamentable."
"The Phoenix God Sect is about to suffer another major setback this time."
"Yun Che will definitely go to the Phoenix God Sect again tomorrow. This time, you will be present in person, and remember to bring the Mysterious Shadow Stone!"
"...Understood!!"
The Cang Feng Kingdom was still shrouded in the shadow of the Divine Phoenix Empire, with over seventy percent of its cities and territories under Phoenix control. However, the core Cangfeng Imperial City had not fallen, serving as the final proof that Cang Feng had not been annihilated.
The Cangfeng Imperial City, which held onto the last vestiges of Cang Feng's dignity, spent another relatively peaceful night in silence.
But as the sky was just beginning to lighten, this peace was shattered by a loud warning alarm.
"...Two armies are approaching from due east and due west respectively. Their marching speed is very fast, and there are no signs of them stopping to encamp. Each is about two hundred thousand strong. Please, Your Majesty, order the troops to prepare for battle!"
"How far are they from the imperial city now?" Xia Qingyue asked. She had long grown accustomed to being constantly on duty, and at the first sound of the alarm, she had already arrived at the imperial hall.
"The western army is still about thirty li away, and the eastern army about twenty li."
"Instruct the soldiers not to panic, and also not to go out of the city to engage." Xia Qingyue's delicate face was exceptionally calm. Her complexion had improved greatly compared to before, and her calmness was no longer the forced composure of necessity, but a genuine inner peace and serenity.
"Yuanba, Brother Tianxia. My husband said that after he left Cang Feng, the Divine Phoenix would seize the opportunity to launch a large-scale attack within three days. My husband's prediction was correct." Xia Qingyue stood up, facing Xia Yuanba and Tianxia Diyi, who had already arrived early. "Cang Feng's defenses are weak, and there is no way we can resist the Divine Phoenix army. I entrust the safety of the imperial city this time to the two of you."
Xia Qingyue directly assigned this task to Xia Yuanba and Tianxia Diyi without any pretense. She was no longer the Cang Yue Imperial Princess of the past, and had no time for unnecessary hesitation or formality.
"Heheh..." Xia Yuanba scratched his head in embarrassment. "Senior Sister, you're being too polite with me. Just watch me blow all these Divine Phoenix lackeys to the skies!"
"Brother Xia, I'll take the east and you the west. How about that?" Tianxia Diyi said cheerfully.
"Sounds good!"
With that, the two turned into gusts of violent wind and disappeared from the hall.
The Elf Race could perceive the world around them through the power of nature, giving them far stronger spiritual senses than ordinary humans. As soon as Tianxia Diyi left the Cangfeng Imperial City, the size and distribution of the Divine Phoenix army approaching from the east were clearly reflected in his mind.
The Divine Phoenix army was still surging from over twenty li away, but fifteen li ahead of the main force, a powerful aura was rapidly flying closer.
A profound strength aura at the sixth level of the Overlord Emperor Realm.
Tianxia Diyi's brow furrowed. A whirlwind of profound energy surged around him as he shot straight toward that person.
Feng Leiming, ranked forty-first among the fifty-six Phoenix elders. He was the supervising elder for the Divine Phoenix Eastern Army. This time, accompanying the army to attack the Cangfeng Imperial City, he had a special mission: to capture Empress Xia Qingyue alive!
Soon, they would be at the gates of the Cangfeng Imperial City. He increased his speed, rushing ahead of the main army toward the city, intending to directly capture Empress Xia Qingyue. Although the Cangfeng Imperial City was the capital of Cang Feng, to him, even if the defending army were ten times larger, it would still be like an undefended territory.
When he was less than five li from the Cangfeng Imperial City, a fluctuation of profound energy suddenly appeared before him. A tall figure blocked his path, and a gust of wind blasted into his face, causing him to choke for a moment and stop his advance.
The tall figure before him looked exceptionally young, and the aura emanating from him was not strong, almost faint. Feng Leiming let out a contemptuous laugh: "In this tiny Cang Feng Kingdom, there are pitifully few people capable of crossing the void through profound energy. It seems you should be considered someone of importance around here. If you charged into my army, you might cause a little trouble. But unfortunately for you, you just had to run into this Phoenix Elder first."
He deliberately emphasized the words "Phoenix Elder," but he did not see the expected shock or fear on the other's face. Tianxia Diyi's gaze flicked over the flame emblem on his chest: "So, that means you are the so-called supervising elder. Then, if I kill you, things should be much easier from here on."
"Kill me? Haha..."
Feng Leiming's wild laughter had just begun when a fierce killing intent enveloped his entire body. A storm of emerald-green profound energy came roaring toward his chest and face.
Feng Leiming had lived for several hundred years and had fought countless profound practitioners who specialized in wind profound strength. But the power of the wind storm that now struck him was the most formidable he had ever encountered in his life.
In terms of profound strength level, Feng Leiming was already weaker than Tianxia Diyi. Coupled with his extreme underestimation of his opponent and lack of defense, and Tianxia Diyi's sudden close-range attack, Feng Leiming had no time to mount a full defense. He hurriedly retreated and, in a fluster, barely managed to summon less than sixty percent of his total power.
Amidst the roar of the wind storm, Feng Leiming let out a miserable scream. His entire chest caved in nearly three inches, his face was mangled and bleeding profusely, and his whole body was covered in nearly a hundred small cuts from the wind blades.
Feng Leiming stumbled backward, one hand clutching his chest and the other covering his face, letting out agonizing and savage roars: "You... you beast! I'll kill you!!"
As he roared, Tianxia Diyi had already charged forward, a whirlwind of profound energy howling around him. Every attack he made stirred up a storm with tremendous shredding power. Feng Leiming tried to defend with all his might using Phoenix Flame, but he was suppressed and forced back step by step. The number of wounds from the wind blades on his body increased rapidly, and in the blink of an eye, he was drenched in blood.
Given the two small realm gap in their profound strength, along with the advantage of Phoenix Flame, Feng Leiming should not have been suppressed so miserably in such a short time. But the ingrained arrogance of the Phoenix God Sect had cost him dearly.
Boom!!
With a loud crash, Feng Leiming was blasted straight back for two li by a storm of profound energy, then crashed heavily to the ground. He vomited over a dozen mouthfuls of blood, and his whole body was as bloody as if he had just crawled out of a blood pool. Struggling to his feet, he used his already dazed gaze to stare at the approaching Tianxia Diyi. He could not believe that he, a dignified Phoenix Elder, had been so utterly defeated on this humble land of Cang Feng by a young man.
"Damned Cang Feng beast..." Feng Leiming groaned in pain and fear. The figure in his eyes grew closer and closer, making him begin to smell the scent of death. Suddenly, his eyes turned ferocious, and a crimson flame dozens of zhang high erupted from his body... even his hair and blood began to burn directly.
"I only wanted to capture that female emperor; I never planned to make a move... But you scum of Cang Feng actually dared to wound this Elder..." Feng Leiming's eyes were wide open, his dilated pupils revealing resentment, fear... and a faint trace of pleasure. The flame on his body had already expanded to an enormous size, threatening to burn the sky. "Together with that female emperor... all of you will be burned to ashes!! This is the price for offending this Elder! Hahahaha!"
The sky-covering Phoenix Flame, amidst a massive explosion of energy, blasted toward the direction of the Cangfeng Imperial City. This was a catastrophic flame released by an Overlord Emperor in a state of frenzy, madly burning all the profound energy within his body... and it was the Fire of the Phoenix! If this flame landed in the very center of the Cangfeng Imperial City, it would be enough to incinerate more than half the city into ashes.
Tianxia Diyi's brow tightened. Using the power of the wind, he rapidly retreated. This vast Phoenix Flame, even if he used all his strength, would be difficult to completely neutralize. At that moment, the distant horizon began to show the dark mass of the Divine Phoenix army. His brow twitched, and he let out a loud roar. The Elf Wings that had been hidden behind him appeared and spread wide open, and a massive storm that blocked out the sky and sun quickly formed, causing the heavens to darken and the clouds to churn. The ground for several li around was violently torn up...
"Ha!!!"
With a furious roar, a windstorm as vast as an apocalypse rolled toward the oncoming sky-covering flame.
Wind and fire collided. There was no explosive release of profound energy; instead, they merged with each other. As the windstorm raged, the Phoenix Flame, which had been a single whole, was torn into countless tiny fragments in an instant. Its speed toward the Cangfeng Imperial City slowed more and more, gradually coming to a complete stop. Then, driven by the windstorm, it reversed direction and flew back eastward at an increasingly rapid speed...
Feng Leiming's eyeballs bulged outward, and a desperate roar escaped his throat. But an even louder roar erupted from the Divine Phoenix army behind him, shaking the heavens.
The shattered Phoenix Flame, like a meteor shower from beyond the heavens, mercilessly rained down upon the charging Divine Phoenix army. The Divine Phoenix soldiers, who had marched desperately for half a day and a whole night, had barely managed to catch a glimpse of the Cangfeng Imperial City's silhouette when they were hit by this enormous rain of fire descending from the sky... In an instant, the Divine Phoenix army, spread across the fields, was thrown into chaos. Men and horses were burned, falling and howling in agony, their formations utterly shattered.
This was no ordinary profound flame. It was the Phoenix Flame of their supervising elder. Once it touched them, even a tiny spark would rapidly spread over their entire bodies, and their strength was nowhere near enough to extinguish it.
The Phoenix Flame that Feng Leiming had unleashed with all his might was already extremely vast. After being torn apart by Tianxia Diyi's windstorm, the area it covered became even larger, almost enveloping the entire Divine Phoenix army. In just a few dozen breaths, nearly seventy percent of the Divine Phoenix army had perished in the Phoenix Flame. Those who had escaped being touched by the flame no longer dared to advance even half a step. Howling in terror, they fled madly backward, afraid of being splashed by even a single spark.
"You... you..." Looking at his great army being utterly defeated by his own flame, Feng Leiming trembled all over. He pointed at Tianxia Diyi, then suddenly spewed out a huge mouthful of blood, rolled his eyes, and fainted.
Tianxia Diyi flipped his hand, and three emerald-green profound arrows shot from his fingertips. One pierced Feng Leiming's throat, and the other two pierced his heart... Only after Feng Leiming had completely lost all signs of life did Tianxia Diyi calmly look away.
"Before I leave, let me send your companions your corpse." Tianxia Diyi murmured. He swung his arm, and a gust of wind kicked up, sweeping several li, picking up Feng Leiming's body along with countless charred corpses of Divine Phoenix soldiers in the distance, and casting them far to the east. The falling corpses crashed heavily into the ground, knocking over a large number of the fleeing Divine Phoenix soldiers.
However, throughout the entire process, Tianxia Diyi did not notice that from a secluded crevice far away, a pair of eyes silently witnessed everything.
"Transparent wings..." The figure let out an extremely faint murmur in surprise, his mind racing. At that moment, an unusually forceful sound of air currents came faintly from the west. His expression shifted in alarm. He quickly suppressed all the aura on his body, held his breath completely, and even tightly closed his eyes... The aura on his whole body, not to mention his presence, almost no trace of life force leaked out.
"As expected of Brother Xia. It seems the Divine Phoenix army from the west has been completely dealt with." Turning to look at the approaching Xia Yuanba, Tianxia Diyi said with a smile.
"Heh, Brother Tianxia, you're not slow either... That's a lot of fire over there? Oh? Looks like quite a few are still escaping. Let me go deal with them!"
"No need." Tianxia Diyi reached out and stopped Xia Yuanba, who was about to give chase, shaking his head. "They were just following orders. They are not malicious evildoers. Since they no longer pose a threat, there's no need to show them no mercy."
"Alright." Xia Yuanba agreed readily, then casually added, "But if my brother-in-law were here, he would definitely kill them all. Back when I was still weak, my brother-in-law once said that one of the stupidest things in this world is to show mercy to one's enemies... But I didn't understand that back then."
"Heh, that certainly matches his style. However, whether it's showing no mercy or showing forgiveness, it's just a difference in philosophy. There is no absolute right or wrong." Tianxia Diyi smiled. "That fire over there was released by a supervising elder. I pushed it back into their army. Otherwise, with my ability alone, I wouldn't have been able to repel such a massive army so quickly. Brother Xia, was there a supervising elder in your group?"
"Well... I don't know. I just threw a few punches, like seven or eight, and then there was nothing left. I was afraid the bodies lying around would be an eyesore, so I even flipped the ground over and buried them... So I really can't find any elder." Xia Yuanba blinked and said.
"..." Tianxia Diyi was slightly stunned, then burst into laughter. "Hahahaha! That result is only fitting for Brother Xia's strength. It's almost dawn. Let's head back. For the time being, the Divine Phoenix army shouldn't attack again. We can wait in the city for Brother Yun to bring us good news."
"Of course! With my brother-in-law's skill, he'll definitely only bring back good news!" Xia Yuanba clenched his fist, full of confidence.
The two turned around and were about to head back to the Cangfeng Imperial City when Xia Yuanba suddenly stopped in his tracks and turned his gaze to the south. The south was bare and empty, with only dozens of scattered rocks of varying sizes a few li away.
"What is it?" Tianxia Diyi asked cautiously.
"Oh, nothing." Xia Yuanba turned his head back. "Maybe some small animal got scared and hid behind a rock. Let's hurry back. Before my brother-in-law left, he specifically told me not to stray too far from Senior Sister."
The sky grew brighter and brighter. Xia Yuanba and Tianxia Diyi quickly flew back to the Cangfeng Imperial City. After a long time, behind the huge rock that Xia Yuanba had glanced at earlier, a thin figure dressed all in black suddenly collapsed to the ground, gasping heavily. After taking a full hundred breaths to recover, he stood up and swiftly left like a ghost.
Going to be a father... how terrifying...