# Chapter 716: Feng Tianwei
"The Phoenix Flame Barrier was reinforced only two months ago... Even Elder Tianyu and Elder Tianqing at the Lord Xuan Realm could never break through! Yun Che... he..."
Everyone's eyes were wide open, staring blankly at the sky, utterly shocked beyond speech. The Phoenix Flame Barrier of their Fenghuang God Sect was unquestionably the strongest protective barrier among the seven kingdoms of Tian Xuan. Even a mid-stage Emperor Lord attacking would not be able to break it in a short time. Yet Yun Che, with barely a dozen strikes, had caused large cracks to appear on the transparent Phoenix Flame Barrier, emitting piercing, splitting screams.
Although the cracks in the barrier would quickly heal after appearing, the originally fast recovery speed under the Overlord's unparalleled assault of the Heaven-Defying Sword was barely enough to be called a drop in the bucket. With every strike Yun Che delivered, the Phoenix City trembled, the Divine Phoenix City quaked, and the cracks on the barrier spread like mad.
"How does he have such powerful strength... Impossible... Impossible!!" Feng Feilie roared in shock. He had lost count of how many times he had said "impossible" in the past half hour, but one thing was certain—the accumulated shock he had experienced in his entire life could not match these short thirty minutes.
Boom!!!
The twenty-ninth strike fell. Amid the thunderous roar, a vast web of wide cracks appeared on the barrier before Yun Che. The barrier's color was no longer transparent but showed a chaotic red glow. At the center of that red glow was a noticeable gap about five inches wide.
Yun Che's lips twitched, and the Heaven-Defying Sword thrust forward with a faint, cold laugh—this time not a strike, but a full-powered thrust.
"Falling Moon and Sinking Star!"
The sword light tore through the void, piercing into the Phoenix Flame Barrier with irresistible force. As the power of the Heaven-Defying Sword erupted, the few-inch gap was instantly destroyed into a gap over five feet wide. The entire power of the Phoenix Flame Barrier also surged out wildly through the breached opening like a flood breaking through a gate.
"The barrier... is broken!!"
No matter how unbelievable this scene was, it was vividly displayed before their eyes. Thirty strikes... each of them counted clearly—a total of thirty strikes—and they had broken the protective barrier of the number one sect of the seven kingdoms of Tian Xuan!
Yun Che's body passed through the gap in the barrier, plummeting down from above. An icy, bone-piercing aura descended upon the souls of everyone present.
Before today, they had resented that Yun Che was too fast. Almost everyone wished they could catch up to him and personally tear him limb from limb. But now, seeing Yun Che charge down from the sky, whether they were Phoenix disciples or powerful Phoenix elders, all felt a sudden chill in their hearts. Almost instinctively, they stepped back several paces, not a single person moving forward even half a step.
The Phoenix Flame Barrier, shattered in thirty strikes, made them realize in extreme terror that their proud Overlord-level strength, which they had barely regarded Yun Che the day before, was not even fit to polish his shoes!
No one doubted anymore that Feng Tianyu and Feng Tianqing had died by his hand!
"Protect the Sect Master!"
The Phoenix elders quickly gathered in front of Feng Hengkong and the princes, but their hands holding their weapons were trembling, and the Phoenix flames on their bodies were swaying chaotically. In the previous three days, Yun Che had used the princes as leverage. But today, Yun Che finally displayed his true power before the Fenghuang God Sect, intimidating the ever-arrogant Fenghuang God Sect with absolute force.
"Feng Hengkong, though I wish I could kill you ten thousand times and annihilate your entire sect and clan, for the sake of the Cang Feng Kingdom and Xue'er, I have given you four chances... but you have repeatedly thrown away face!"
Yun Che swung his arm, and the Heaven-Defying Sword descended with grand force, its overwhelming sword momentum rolling like a tsunami.
The hundreds of Phoenix disciples below were frantically fleeing, trying to get away from this demon descending from heaven. But the moment the Heaven-Defying Sword's aura swept down, their bodies all violently shook. Then, their bones shattered, blood vessels burst, and meridians snapped... They all collapsed like mud, softening to the ground.
The large area of earth, quickly stained with blood, also sank half a zhang in that same instant.
This sudden scene made the already terrified Phoenix clan members tremble with fear. Yun Che hadn't even attacked; he had merely swung his sword...
The death of over a hundred Phoenix disciples in that instant was caused solely by the sword aura of that huge crimson sword!!
And these fallen Phoenix disciples had cultivation levels at least at the Heavenly Xuan Realm!
"You... you... you... who are you? You can't be Yun Che!" Feng Feilie stood at the front, pointing at Yun Che, his voice shaking uncontrollably. Even with Yun Che right before his eyes, he still couldn't connect him with the Yun Che of three years ago who was only at the Earth Xuan Realm... The difference in strength was like two separate dimensions—how could they be the same person!
Looking at the Phoenix elders huddled around Feng Hengkong, Yun Che sneered coldly and mercilessly: "You old dogs of the Divine Phoenix, aren't you usually so arrogant, looking down on everyone? Didn't you all want to tear me apart piece by piece? I'm right here now, yet you're all shaking like sieves. How pathetic."
"Yun Che..." Feng Feilie's eyes were bloodshot. The tip of his sword had already turned a jade-like crystalline red under the Phoenix Flame: "I... our Fenghuang God Sect will not fear a mere brat like you!"
"Die!!"
Feng Feilie's eyes bulged. With a roar, he thrust his sword at Yun Che. As the strongest among the current generation of Phoenix elders, Feng Feilie's profound strength was at Level 10 of the Overlord Xuan Realm, nearing its peak. The fact that his sword had turned crystal-red meant its power had reached its limit. One strike from that sword could burn heaven and shatter earth.
Facing the full-powered, ultimate strike of the strongest Phoenix elder, Yun Che expressionlessly waved the Heaven-Defying Sword lightly.
Ping!!
The extremely powerful heavy sword storm, carrying a Phoenix Flame a hundred times hotter than Feng Feilie's, erupted violently. Space shattered like glass, and along with it, Feng Feilie's already crystal-red sword shattered. Space fragments swirled with crystal-red shards, radiating in all directions like a storm amid the terrifying explosion of profound energy.
"Ahhh—"
With a miserable scream, Feng Feilie flew far away like a kite with its string cut, a trail of bloody red stretching dozens of zhang through the air. His right arm, which had gripped the sword, had completely vanished from his body.
"Grand Elder!!"
"Feilie!!"
"Master!!"
Although Yun Che had already displayed his terror by destroying the Phoenix Flame Barrier, this scene still shocked everyone beyond words. The strongest elder of this generation of the Fenghuang God Sect, going all out, was utterly defeated and severely injured in just one exchange with Yun Che. Especially the younger Phoenix disciples, seeing their revered Grand Elder, whom they usually worshipped like a god, being so miserably defeated by someone younger than themselves... In their extreme terror, even their beliefs came crashing down.
Feng Feilie was severely wounded and had lost an arm, but he wasn't dead yet. How could Yun Che be merciful enough to let him go? Before Feng Feilie hit the ground, Yun Che's Heaven-Defying Sword swung again. A Phoenix Arrow streaked through the void, chasing after Feng Feilie.
"Stop!!!"
Boom!!
The Phoenix Arrow struck Feng Feilie's chest just as he landed. The Phoenix Flame exploded mercilessly, turning his body into scattered scorching ashes flying through the air.
"Grand Elder!!!"
Years ago, the previous Grand Elder of the Fenghuang God Sect, Feng Feiyan, had perished on the Primordial Mystic Ark under Xia Yuanba's wrath. Now, their new Grand Elder of three years had died again—and this time before their very eyes.
"Yun Che... our Fenghuang God Sect swears an undying feud with you! Our sect is protected by our ancestor Phoenix God; the Phoenix God will surely rain divine punishment upon you!" The tenth elder, Feng Lingshan, roared. He tried to intimidate Yun Che with words, but every word he shouted carried trembling and fear... and even a hint of despair.
"Heh, you still have the nerve to mention your 'ancestor Phoenix God'?" Yun Che moved, appearing from a hundred zhang away to within thirty zhang. His aura locked onto Feng Hengkong and all the Phoenix elders, instantly turning their faces pale and their sweat pouring. The pressure Yun Che released without the heavy sword was entirely different from when he had it. Under his fully unleashed pressure, these powerful Phoenix elders felt as if they were facing a terrifying demon god from the abyss.
"Attack!!"
The previously speaking Feng Lingshan could no longer bear the overwhelming pressure. With a roar, he charged out. The four elders beside him also shook, gritted their teeth, and attacked despite their fear.
Though they were five attacking together, they dared not hold back at all. They unleashed their deadliest killing moves from the start.
"Mountain-Burning Blade!"
"Phoenix Flame Burns Heaven!"
"Phoenix Fire Heaven-Shattering Sword!"
Five great Phoenix elders struck simultaneously, each unleashing the most powerful profound skills of their respective schools. The sheer scale of their might was earth-shattering. Perhaps never in their lives had these five fought so unreservedly.
In truth, although Yun Che's current strength allowed him to crush any Phoenix elder one-on-one, he could not absolutely crush a combined attack from all of them. If the Phoenix elders had remained calm and formed a formation, they might not have killed Yun Che, but they could have driven him back or even heavily wounded him.
But the mental impact of Yun Che killing two Phoenix Emperor Lords and shattering the barrier in thirty strikes was far too intense... A pack of bloodthirsty, savage wolves can drive back a pack of tigers, but a pack of terrified jackals will flee with their tails between their legs even when facing a single tiger.
The Phoenix elders before Yun Che now were leaning toward the latter. Only five of them attacked this time; the other elders didn't move but huddled around Feng Hengkong... Instinctively, they thought that charging at Yun Che, who could kill even two Phoenix Emperor Lords, would only be a suicidal waste.
The force of the five incoming attacks made Yun Che's clothes billow. If it had been ten attacking together, he might have considered avoiding their edge. But only five... he had no need to retreat at all.
The Heaven-Defying Sword blazed with Phoenix Flame. Behind him, a fiery wolf shadow appeared in an instant. The Heaven-Defying Sword smashed forward, carving a black trench through space.
"Phoenix Heavenly Wolf Strike!!"
A massive shadow of the Celestial Wolf, carrying scorching Phoenix Flame, shot out. With a soul-shaking howl, it met the five Phoenix elders' attacks—and in an instant, whether it was flames, sword light, or blade shadows, all were smashed to pieces.
The surging Phoenix Flame shattered into scattered sparks flying in all directions. Three Phoenix swords and two Phoenix blades also shattered, turning into sharp fragments flying far away. The chests of the five Phoenix elders felt as if struck by lightning. They flew backwards like five broken blood bags in different directions, their miserable screams like demonic wails.
"All of you, die!!"
Yun Che flew forward, his icy killing intent locking onto the five elders he had just heavily wounded. He swung his sword at the nearest one, Feng Lingshan... One strike would surely turn him to powder.
"Bastard, how dare you!!"
Just then, a thunderous roar came. It carried the pressure of a collapsing mountain range, shaking Yun Che and slowing his movements. Amid an explosive sound, the ground less than fifty zhang in front of Yun Che suddenly burst open. A thick pillar of flame shot toward him.
Behind the flame appeared an old man with furious eyes and a face like red jade. He wore a crimson robe. His hair, beard, and even his eyes showed a dark red color. The flame mark between his brows emitted a blood-red glow.
Yun Che was not afraid of Phoenix Flame itself, but the profound force driving this Phoenix Flame was extremely powerful—several times stronger than Feng Tianyu's! Yun Che's brows tightened sharply. Abandoning Feng Lingshan, he quickly withdrew the Heaven-Defying Sword and crossed it before himself.
Boom!!!
With a deafening sound, amid the skyward flame, the Heaven-Defying Sword slammed heavily against Yun Che's chest. His entire body was blasted away. Blood surged through his meridians, and a large spray of blood mist erupted from his mouth. His eyes blazed with anger. With a low growl, he forcibly activated the Evil God Barrier.
"Cloud-Sealing Sun-Locking!!"
Yun Che tumbled more than ten times in the air. The Evil God Barrier shattered rapidly, but the profound force from the crimson-robed old man was finally completely nullified. The old man's eyes showed a hint of surprise, but his palm flipped like lightning. Six weapon fragments scattered in the air turned into sharp, crimson flame crystals. They pierced through space, shooting toward Yun Che, who had just stabilized his body.
Puff puff puff puff puff puff...
Ordinary weapon fragments had become the deadliest blades in the old man's hands. Their speed was terrifying, as if crossing dimensions. By the time Yun Che sensed the danger, the six shining crimson weapon fragments had all pierced into his body, sending up six exploding bursts of blood.
Yun Che grunted. The Heaven-Defying Sword vanished from his hand. Under the Phantom Lightning Extreme, he shot east like a storm wind.
Surprise appeared again in the crimson-robed old man's eyes. He naturally knew how powerful those six crimson blades were. And Yun Che had just had his defenses shattered by the old man's Phoenix Flame blast. In that state, even a Level 4 Emperor Lord would have had six transparent holes pierced through his body. But on Yun Che, they only caused six bloody wounds without penetrating!
Also striking were his excessively low-level profound energy aura and his astonishing speed.
"Grand Sect Master..."
"Grand Sect Master!!"
Seeing the crimson-robed old man appear in the sky like a god, forcing Yun Che to flee severely wounded with a single move, the terrified Phoenix elders and disciples couldn't help but be moved to tears. They looked at him as if gazing at a savior god.
"Father..." Feng Hengkong looked up, his steps slow. This emperor who ruled the Divine Phoenix, before this crimson-robed old man, had pupils shrinking and postures striving to show humility.
"Grandfather!" The princes present were both excited and frightened, kneeling directly.
The old man who had appeared was the Grand Sect Master of the Fenghuang God Sect, and also the Supreme Emperor of the Divine Phoenix Empire... Feng Tianwei!
Since entering the Phoenix Flame Langhuan Realm one hundred and ninety years ago, he had rarely concerned himself with state affairs or sect matters, devoting himself entirely to cultivation. Having already stepped into the Emperor Lord realm, his profound strength had advanced by leaps and bounds. In recent years, the few times he left the Phoenix Flame Langhuan Realm were mostly because of Feng Xue'er.
Above, the protective barrier was rapidly disintegrating, broken into pieces. Below, the Phoenix City, carrying five thousand years of the sect's heritage, lay in ruins and devastation, covered with bright red Phoenix blood and broken corpses. He raised his crimson eyes, and the surprise flickering in them was swallowed by extreme fury.
"Deserving of death ten thousand times!"
Muttering softly, Feng Tianwei ignored everyone. His figure flickered, and in an instant, he appeared a hundred zhang away, heading straight in the direction of Yun Che. The wind stirred by his movement caused a row of buildings below to collapse thunderously.
Bam!!
Yun Che punched his chest, forcing out the six weapon fragments embedded in his body, sending up six more bursts of blood. He gritted his teeth, silent. He quickly sealed the external wounds, then took two Snow Face Pills from the Heavenly Poison Pearl. He swallowed one and crushed the other, spreading it over the six deep wounds.
"Hiss..." Both internal and external injuries were quite serious. Yun Che finally let out a pained groan. If not for his Dragon God's Marrow, which made his bones as hard as profound gold and stopped all six fragments, it would have been more than just six wounds—it would have been six holes.
"He's chasing you," Mo Li said.
"I know." Yun Che didn't look back, his brows tightly furrowed.
"So even you end up in situations like this," Mo Li sneered coldly. "Quite rare."
"How was I supposed to know he'd pop out from underground!" Yun Che clenched his teeth. "Those Emperor Lords of the Fenghuang God Sect are all in a place called the Phoenix Flame Langhuan Realm. The only entrance and exit is at the Phoenix God Hall in the northwest corner. If a presence I can't match appears there, the distance is enough for me to curse him out and still escape. But this crimson-robed old man didn't follow the rules... Cough... cough..."
Large clots of blood were coughed out continuously. His internal injuries were much worse than the external ones.
With the Great Dao Pagoda and the Dragon God's Body, Yun Che's profound energy and injuries recovered extremely quickly. But even so, he couldn't heal instantly. These wounds would inevitably slow him down. Forcibly using full profound energy would worsen the injuries.
Even so, Yun Che's speed was still like lightning—at least much faster than when he had "fled" from Feng Tianyu's pursuit.
But Feng Tianwei was not Feng Tianyu. Not only did he not fall behind, the distance of that dangerous aura was growing closer and closer.
"This old man should be Feng Tianwei... What realm is his cultivation?" Yun Che asked with a frown, rapidly calculating the current situation.
"Level 6 mid-stage Lord Xuan Realm," Mo Li answered casually.
"Lord Xuan Realm... Level 6?" Yun Che was slightly shocked. This strength was far higher than he had anticipated. As a contemporary of Feng Tianqing and Feng Tianyu, Yun Che had estimated Feng Tianwei's profound force to be around Level 3 Lord Xuan Realm, at most Level 4.
Unexpectedly, Feng Tianwei's strength was a full three small realms higher than Feng Tianyu's!
And three small realms within the Lord Xuan Realm!
Feng Hengkong, as the current Phoenix Sect Master, had the highest cultivation among his generation, but several peers among the Phoenix elders were close to him in strength, and other elder-level figures weren't far behind. But Feng Tianwei—perhaps with exceptionally high talent—had overwhelmingly crushed his peers.
"No wonder two moves left me wounded inside and out..." Yun Che muttered, but his eyes showed not resignation but deep anger... and a hint of burning madness.
Daring to make Yun Che go from majestic to such a miserable state in an instant...
Hoo... Yun Che took a deep breath. His chest heaved violently. His gaze became more and more ferocious and savage. Even Mo Li within the Heavenly Poison Pearl felt an extremely dangerous aura.