Chapter 708: Step by Step Pressing Forward
"You... what do you mean?"
"What do I mean? Are you, the Phoenix Sect Master, unable to understand?" Yun Che sneered coldly. "I came here with a merciful heart, yet you were foolish and ungrateful. I gave you chance after chance, but you would rather let your sons die than seize those opportunities. Do you still naively believe that today's me will be as merciful as yesterday's me?"
"You!!"
"Sect Master!" Feng Feilie spoke quickly. "In his hands are the lives of two princes! The Thirteenth and Fourteenth Princes have already fallen to his wicked schemes; the Ninth and Eleventh Princes must not face the same fate. Moreover, his speed is unfathomable. If we remain stubborn and confront him, not only will the Ninth and Eleventh Princes' lives be lost, but other princes may also be in danger..."
Feng Hengkong's forehead and arms bulged with veins, nearly bursting, and his voice came out low and piercing: "Then today... what will it take for you to release them?!"
"Oh?" Yun Che seemed rather surprised by Feng Hengkong's reaction, then let out a mocking laugh. "It seems your brain, Phoenix Sect Master, has finally grown a bit sharper. I suppose that's true—though you are beastly and inhuman, as a species you are still human, and you should have some distinction from a stupid pig or a mad dog."
Feng Hengkong's teeth-gritting concession was met with Yun Che's venomous insults. A mere few words—not even Feng Hengkong, but even the most ordinary Phoenix disciples—were furious to the point of bursting. Yun Che unhurriedly raised a finger and said with a face full of compassion: "Then I'll give your Fenghuang God Sect a third chance. If you comply, these two princes will live, and I won't bother staying in this filthy place any longer. Of course, you can continue to refuse—I don't mind at all. Frankly, you turned my Cang Feng Kingdom into a river of blood and mountains of bones, and I've only killed a little over a dozen of you—it's far too cheap."
"First," Yun Che's face instantly turned cold, his gaze piercing like ice blades straight at Feng Hengkong, "Within twenty days, your Shenhuang army must completely withdraw from the territory of my Cang Feng Kingdom! Not a single soldier may remain, and you shall not encroach another half step for three hundred years!"
"Second, you, Feng Hengkong, shall personally draft an edict of apology to my Cang Feng Kingdom and proclaim it to the world! Furthermore, that edict shall be mounted on the main gate of your Shenhuang City and hang there for no less than ten years!"
"Third, compensate my Cang Feng Kingdom with three hundred billion Purple Mysterious Coins!"
"Fourth, cede the Chiqiong Region, located at the northeastern border of your Shenhuang Kingdom, to my Cang Feng Kingdom!"
"Yun Che!! Don't go too far!" With each condition Yun Che listed, Feng Hengkong's face darkened. By the fourth condition, his chest felt as if it would split, and he roared aloud. The deadline for withdrawal was shortened, the period of non-aggression extended; the edict was not only to be proclaimed to the world but also hung on the city gate for a full ten years! The compensation increased once again. And the most unbearable... yesterday, he only demanded Shenhuang Kingdom cede Chiqiong City; today, he dared to demand the entire Chiqiong Region!!
Although the Chiqiong Region was on the periphery of Shenhuang, it was one of the largest regions of the Shenhuang Empire, covering an area equivalent to a quarter of the entire Cang Feng Kingdom!
"Fifth!" Ignoring Feng Hengkong's roar, Yun Che coldly announced another condition. He raised a finger and pointed at Feng Ximing, who stood beside Feng Hengkong. "This crown prince of your Shenhuang Kingdom—I believe his name is Feng Ximing, isn't it? This last condition is much simpler: Depose his profound arts, then have him accompany me to the Cangfeng Imperial City as a guest for fifty years."
"!!!!"
Yun Che's final words ignited the fury of everyone in the Fenghuang God Sect.
Withdrawal, apology, compensation, cession of land—and now...
(This chapter is not finished, please turn the page)
...a hostage! And a hostage of their Shenhuang Empire's crown prince at that!
Moreover, his century-cultivated profound arts were to be abolished... and the period of being a hostage was as long as fifty years!!
If their Shenhuang Kingdom actually did this, it would be a monumental disgrace that would shame all the past ancestors of Shenhuang and its five-thousand-year history!
"Yun Che, you're dreaming!" Feng Ximing never expected Yun Che's spear to suddenly point at him. Already hating Yun Che to the bone, he trembled with rage.
"Imperial Father, as your son, even if I were to die ten thousand deaths, I would never accept such humiliation! For this is not only a humiliation for me, but for you, for my Shenhuang itself! The Chiqiong Region is not only an important territory of Shenhuang but also the birthplace of our Shenhuang's founding ancestor. Even if Shenhuang were utterly annihilated, it must never be ceded to others!" Feng Ximing's emotions grew increasingly agitated, and the latter part of his words were shouted with all his strength.
"Sect Master, such acts of national humiliation cannot be agreed to, absolutely not!"
"But the two princes..."
"This Yun Che is clearly humiliating our Shenhuang! Under no circumstances can we compromise with this brat!"
Feng Hengkong's face was flushed red, his breathing heavy and labored. His limit of endurance was at the brink of complete collapse. Two days ago, when Yun Che first took a prince hostage and shouted out his negotiation conditions, he had nearly been furious enough to burst his lungs.
But compared to today, that day's Yun Che was merciful as a living Buddha reincarnated!
Facing the fury and glares of the entire Fenghuang God Sect, Yun Che's expression remained unchanged as he said slowly: "Feng Hengkong, I'll give you five breaths to consider. Either obediently comply and start executing immediately; or they die. Don't try to bargain, and don't try to stall. Only five breaths... I won't wait a single moment longer."
"Five!" As soon as he finished, Yun Che called out the first count.
"Four..."
"Three..."
On one side, the lives of two princes; on the other, an outrageous humiliation that must not be accepted. And they had only an exceedingly brief five breaths to decide. This undoubtedly placed everyone from Fenghuang God Sect on a blazing fire.
"Sect Master..." All eyes were fixed on Feng Hengkong. With the lives of princes on one side and the shame of Shenhuang on the other, no one dared to make an arbitrary decision, not even to say anything extra.
"Two..." Yun Che withdrew another finger from his raised hand.
"Imperial Father... Imperial Father!!" Feng Xilin and Feng Ximin shouted in terror and despair, using every ounce of strength they had.
"One..."
Blood dripped from between Feng Hengkong's fingers, and his body trembled without cease from start to finish. Yesterday, Yun Che had already made them understand that false promises and pretenses were completely useless. But if he agreed to those five conditions, he would become the eternal sinner of the Shenhuang Empire, and the awe-inspiring Shenhuang would become a laughingstock among the seven kingdoms... After death, he would have no face to meet his ancestors.
If he refused, his two sons would surely die... Yun Che would come again, with his unfathomable abilities, and kill even more of their people. The conditions he put forward next might be even more cruel...
Three years ago, when he sent troops to invade Cang Feng, annexing its territory seemed to him a trivial matter, the simplest of things. He never dreamed it would lead to such retribution.
"Yun Che..." Feng Hengkong spoke in a low voice: "If you dare..."
At this moment, Yun Che retracted his last finger, a cruel smile on his face: "Five breaths have passed. Frankly speaking, Phoenix Sect Master, I like your response very much. Two honorable princes—it seems your imperial father doesn't care about your lives at all. My conditions were so merciful and generous, yet he still chose to watch you die... Since that's the case, you have no reason to live."
Feng Hengkong and all the Phoenix elders were horrified and roared simultaneously: "Stop!!"
Boom!!!
Their only answer was two dazzling bursts of fire. The Shenhuang princes of the most exalted status were like the lowliest ants in Yun Che's hands, crushed without a moment's hesitation. Amid the exploding flames, the bodies of Feng Xilin and Feng Ximin shattered instantly, then were incinerated into nothingness, leaving no trace.
"Xilin... Ximin!!" Feng Hengkong let out a heart-wrenching roar, charging toward Yun Che like a madman: "Yun Che!! I, Feng Hengkong, will never rest under the same sky with you!!!"
"You're not worthy!" Yun Che sneered lowly, then burst into wild laughter as he soared into the air: "Feng Hengkong, you've lost four; you still have ten sons left... Don't worry. Before you pay the price you deserve, I'll send them one by one to meet the King of Hell! Wait patiently!!"
Yun Che turned around, his body shooting like an arrow from a bow, fleeing towards the west.
"Kill him! No matter what, kill him!" Feng Feilie roared wildly.
Amidst the chaotic explosive sounds, three Phoenix elders who were in Yun Che's escape path all soared into the air, charging head-on at Yun Che. Three long swords blazing with Phoenix flames stabbed fiercely at Yun Che's vital points...
Yun Che's eyes narrowed slightly, a cold and dangerous gleam shining from the slits. Facing the three Phoenix elders coming directly at him, his speed did not slow but instead suddenly increased. A vermilion light flashed in his hand, his whole profound force erupted violently, and the Heaven-Defying Sword blasted forward.
Earlier, when facing the attacks and encirclement of the Fenghuang God Sect, Yun Che had only dodged and fled. This time, the three Phoenix elders struck with all their might. In their subconscious, Yun Che would surely use his phantom-like movement technique to evade all their attacks and then flee far away...
But what they saw was a vermilion sword light coming straight at them.
The three Phoenix elders were first slightly startled, then overjoyed. Their profound energy swelled even further, and snake-like flames several zhang long leaped from their swords... If Yun Che wanted to flee, they knew they would be helpless against his speed. But in a frontal confrontation, with the three of them joining forces, there was no reason they couldn't severely wound him... or even kill him on the spot.
But their joy lasted only a moment before being replaced by deepening terror... because the power of the profound force storm coming at them surpassed their expectations by countless times. When that vermilion great sword approached them, the Phoenix flames they had all ignited were extinguished like candles in the wind, not even a spark remaining. A force as if the heavens themselves were collapsing pressed down upon their bodies. Before this power, they felt their bodies—harder than refined steel—were as fragile and insignificant as ants...
"Falling Moon and Sinking Star!!"
Boom!!!
Like a mountain exploding in midair, the deafening roar caused the ground below to crack wide open. Everyone who had come in pursuit clearly saw the swords of the three Phoenix elders break simultaneously and fly apart. Then, in the instant the great sword swept across... their bodies were also cut in half!
(This chapter is not finished)