Chapter 707: Collapse of Faith

"Since you're so eager to die, I'll grant your wish." Yun Che almost laughed in anger. If he hadn't known about the Phoenix-Sealing Forbidden Array beforehand, he might have accidentally wandered into its area. But with Feng Xilin shouting like that, even if his IQ were halved, he would immediately grow suspicious and absolutely stay away from there... unless his head had been squeezed by a donkey.

As for now, of course he would lower his IQ to play along with this fool's act.

Yun Che's figure flickered, and he charged straight toward where Feng Xilin was standing. Even though he was still holding Feng Ximin in his hand, his speed was still at its peak, his silhouette streaking through Phoenix City like a meteor's afterimage.

"Protect the Ninth Prince!!"

The Phoenix elders rushed forward, attempting to block Yun Che's path... but of course, it was just a pretense. After understanding Feng Xilin's intention, they couldn't have been happier for Yun Che to rush over. Seeing Yun Che take the bait, they secretly rejoiced, deliberately slowing their charge by half a beat.

Yun Che's already lightning speed only grew faster, flashing through the crowds like a bolt, leaving all the Phoenix elders who had pretended to charge behind him...

Siiiiip!

From extreme speed to a sudden stop, the air was torn by a piercing screech. Feng Xilin staggered back, his whole body jolting several times. Yun Che, who had been several li away moments ago, had now appeared within ten paces of him, still holding a person. Such astonishing speed—Feng Xilin had never seen anything like it even in his dreams.

The shock and terror in his heart were no less than seeing a ghost descend from the sky in broad daylight.

But amidst the terror was boundless ecstasy. Because the ground beneath their feet was where the Phoenix-Sealing Forbidden Array was hidden. The exact spot Yun Che stood on was the core of the array.

Feng Hengkong and the others watched Yun Che enter the area of the Phoenix-Sealing Forbidden Array, overjoyed. Feng Hengkong roared, "Activate the array!!"

Awakening the Phoenix-Sealing Forbidden Array required only the power of a single Phoenix elder. But at Feng Hengkong's shout, over thirty Phoenix elders struck simultaneously. In an instant, the dormant array fully activated. A crimson profound formation covering an area of a hundred zhang appeared centered on Yun Che's feet, emitting a firelight as deep as blood. Within the light, an overwhelmingly powerful sealing force, like a hungry wolf awakened, devoured Yun Che and Feng Xilin within the array.

Yun Che felt a sense of suppression suddenly come from his profound veins... but it lasted only an instant before vanishing without a trace. Opposite him, Feng Xilin's face contorted in pain, the color draining rapidly. The profound force emanating from him dissipated like receding tide. But instead of panicking, he changed his expression and burst into loud laughter: "Hahahaha... Yun Che! No matter how great your abilities, you've still fallen into my hands! This is the strongest sealing profound array of my Phoenix God Sect! Don't think that just because you're only at the King Xuan realm, even if you had the power of an Emperor Lord... you're as good as dead!"

In the midst of his wild laughter, Feng Xilin's body swayed, and under severe weakness, he fell to his knees with a thud, but his manic grin showed no sign of fading.

"Xilin, well done!!" Feng Hengkong's venting roar shook the ground slightly. For two full days, extreme anger, hatred, humiliation, and frustration had nearly shattered his organs. Now, seeing the culprit of it all swallowed by the sealing power of the Phoenix-Sealing Forbidden Array, it brought an indescribably intense satisfaction.

"Yun Che, this time I'll see where you can run!" Feng Ximing also rushed closer, shouting fiercely.

"Sect Master, let me capture him and bring him before you... This beast will be executed by your hand, to comfort the spirits of the Thirteenth and Fourteenth Princes!"

The Eighteenth Elder, Feng Yunzhi, was the closest. He released his profound energy, pouncing toward Yun Che like a great bird. He was one of the array's creators and could largely control it, so the array's sealing power would not affect him.

At this moment, Yun Che still stood there calmly, appearing unchanged. But in the eyes of everyone in the Phoenix God Sect, he was already a lamb to the slaughter. Because that was the Phoenix-Sealing Forbidden Array! A sealing profound array of extreme tyranny passed down by the Phoenix God Sect for thousands of years! Once a Phoenix disciple fell into it, their profound force would be sealed without exception... Even the Snow Princess, who bore the power of the Phoenix God, could not escape.

Although its effect on outsiders was somewhat diminished, it still produced a very strong sealing effect... far stronger than ordinary sealing arrays.

Moreover, the array beneath Yun Che's feet was no ordinary Phoenix-Sealing Forbidden Array. It had been jointly formed by over thirty Phoenix elders. Its sealing power was so tyrannical that it might even seal a mid-stage Emperor Lord... In terms of might, it was not far inferior to the Heaven's Might Soul Suppression Array of the Heaven's Might Sword Domain.

"Yun Che... die!" Feng Yunzhi growled deeply.

Plop... As Yun Che's fingers loosened, Feng Ximin, who had been held in his hand, fell to the ground. Already overpowered by Yun Che and affected by the array, he lay there unable to move, only letting out faint groans.

"Hahaha, not only your profound force, but you won't even be able to use any physical strength now!" Looking at Yun Che, who seemed completely "exhausted," Feng Yunzhi laughed loudly. "You beast! You destroyed our sect's Phoenix God statue, killed two Divine Phoenix Princes! Even dying ten thousand times cannot atone for this crime! Now that you're in our hands... even if you die, you will remember in hell the consequences of offending our Phoenix God Sect and killing our Divine Phoenix Princes!"

"Eighteenth Elder, don't kill him. That would be too merciful." Feng Xilin said excitedly.

"Of course! We'll make him wish he were dead!" With another roar, Feng Yunzhi reached out his right hand like a claw, grabbing straight for Yun Che's throat.

Just as his hand was less than three zhang from Yun Che, Yun Che slowly turned and gave him a faint smile.

In that instant, Feng Yunzhi felt a chill shoot from his spine throughout his entire body... The next moment, he seemed to see Yun Che's figure flicker slightly...

Boom!!!!

Without any warning, Feng Yunzhi felt as if a ten-thousand-ton hammer swung from the heavens had slammed into his chest. In his ears and within his body came a deafening roar like a mountain collapsing and thunder clashing. His instinctively dilated pupils saw Yun Che's still-smiling face, somehow now right in front of him.

Yun Che slowly pulled his right fist back from Feng Yunzhi's heart area and casually shook his wrist. The sound of his fist striking Feng Yunzhi's chest was loud enough to echo across half of Divine Phoenix City. One could only imagine the terrifying power behind such a blow—not even a boulder could withstand it, and would be blasted ten li away.

But Feng Yunzhi was not blown back, nor did he take a single step back. Even after Yun Che withdrew his arm, he stood there motionless... only all traces of profound force on him had completely dissipated, barely detectable.

A breeze passed by. Feng Yunzhi leaned back and fell straight down like a wooden stake... No movement, no breath, not even a drop of blood. Only his face showed a terrifying ashen gray. His eyes bulged, pupils dilated to the extreme, nearly filling the entire eyeball.

The scorching air turned deathly cold and silent. Everyone in the Phoenix God Sect froze, their relaxed and excited expressions completely congealed. Feng Hengkong, who had been charging at full speed to punish Yun Che, along with all the elders and princes, were as if struck by lightning, stopping dead, staring blankly at the scene that should never have happened, as if turned to stone.

Only when Feng Yunzhi fell straight down did they snap back to reality. Feng Feilie let out a sorrowful cry: "Yunzhi!"

"Eighteenth Elder!"

"Heh!" Yun Che kicked out, sending Feng Yunzhi's body flying toward Feng Hengkong. Feng Feilie quickly rushed forward and caught it. The moment he touched it, his arms trembled. As he probed with his profound force, his whole body began to shake.

"How is Yunzhi?" Feng Hengkong approached quickly, and as he spoke, he placed his hand on Feng Yunzhi's chest... After a brief touch, he withdrew his hand like lightning, his face showing shock far greater than Feng Feilie's.

Feng Yunzhi's internal organs were crushed, his profound veins shattered, his meridians completely severed, and every bone in his body reduced to powder...

His exterior was intact, but his interior was destroyed into a pulp.

And Yun Che had only punched him once in the chest.

Feng Yunzhi was ranked eighteenth among the Phoenix elders, with profound strength at the eighth level of the Overlord Xuan realm!! And he died so completely from just one punch by Yun Che!

"Yun Che... you... you... you!!!" Feng Hengkong's venting roar had only been uttered moments ago. He had already started thinking about how to deal with Yun Che to vent his hatred. But in the blink of an eye, instead of Feng Yunzhi capturing Yun Che, Feng Yunzhi had died miserably at Yun Che's hands.

And beneath Yun Che's feet, the profound light of the Phoenix-Sealing Forbidden Array still flickered, a layer of nearly blood-colored sealing light enveloping his body. Feng Hengkong had no doubt that if he were in the array, under the sealing light of this Phoenix-Sealing Forbidden Array, his Phoenix profound force would be completely locked, unable to use even a trace.

But Yun Che...

"Keep laughing, keep shouting. I really like hearing it." Yun Che's gaze moved, smiling as he admired the ghost-seeing expressions on everyone before him.

"Impossible... impossible..." A Phoenix elder who had participated in creating the array shrank his pupils, unable to believe his eyes. He muttered in a trembling, lost voice: "That's the Phoenix-Sealing Forbidden Array... the Phoenix-Sealing Forbidden Array!"

Yun Che, standing in an array jointly formed by over thirty Phoenix elders, had killed a Phoenix elder with one punch... This brought them not anger and humiliation, but a near collapse of faith.

Behind Yun Che, Feng Xilin's previous manic pose was completely twisted on his face, his body trembling in limpness. Then Yun Che stretched out both arms, sending out a surge of profound energy. Amid terrified screams, Feng Ximin and Feng Xilin were simultaneously sucked into his hands. He couldn't be bothered to look at Feng Xilin, and while locking eyes with Feng Hengkong, he slowly lifted his two sons by their throats: "Feng Hengkong, today I originally only planned to kill one of your sons if you didn't listen. After all, you only have fourteen sons. Killing them all too early would drain my fun. But unfortunately, your Ninth Son was so polite, he couldn't wait to come and die on his own, so I had to oblige him."

"Father..." Feng Xilin said weakly, his voice hoarse and desperate. Because he knew that Feng Xiluo and Feng Xichen had died at the hand now holding him.

"Two noble Divine Phoenix Princes, no need to be nervous. I never said I would definitely kill you." Yun Che said with a smile. "You should know very well that it's not me who decides your life or death, but your father. Feng Hengkong, are you going to watch them die like before, or are you going to obediently listen? Whichever you choose, I'll satisfy you right away."

Feng Ximin, Feng Xilin... This time, two princes' lives were in Yun Che's grasp.

The Phoenix-Sealing Forbidden Array they had painstakingly set up had not only failed to affect Yun Che in the slightest, but had also delivered Feng Xilin into his hands... and Feng Yunzhi had died because of it.

Before him were his two sons who could die at Yun Che's hands any moment. In his mind were Feng Xiluo and Feng Xichen, who had already died by Yun Che's hands. Since Yun Che's arrival, in less than three days, it felt like a nightmare darker than the abyss.

Feng Hengkong stretched out his hand... Before Yun Che, his imperial might, dignity, glory, and pride had all been utterly shattered. What remained was only anger, humiliation, resentment, and deep sorrow and powerlessness.

"Release them... I agree to... all the conditions you proposed yesterday."

After saying this, Feng Hengkong closed his eyes, the corners of his eyes twitching in pain. His decisions had already caused the tragic deaths of two sons. He absolutely could not watch another son die at Yun Che's hands.

Feng Hengkong's words brought expressions of extreme pain to all the Phoenix elders, but no one spoke to stop him. Three days—they had seen Yun Che grow more terrifying with each passing day. It was better to yield in humiliation... to spare the two princes' lives and end this nightmare quickly.

"All the conditions of yesterday?" Yun Che didn't laugh triumphantly at Feng Hengkong's answer. Instead, he showed a puzzled expression of amusement: "I recall I haven't yet said the condition for not killing your two sons. Yesterday's conditions... what do they have to do with today?"

...