Against the Gods

>Ximing, do you know why Yun Che’s actual strength was so astonishing even though he’s so young and merely possesses the profound strength of the Emperor Profound Realm? Do you know why his flames surpass our Phoenix flames so greatly? Do you know how he was able to return alive from the Primordial Profound Ark? You know that he had angered Ye Xinghan that year, yet why hasn’t Ye Xinghan gone to deal with him this entire time?”

“We have only found out today that Yun Che has an unprecedented, almighty master who is capable of tearing open dimensional rifts! When Yun Che was trapped in the Primordial Profound Ark that year, his master tore through space and brought him back from the Primordial Profound Ark! It wasn’t that Ye Xinghan did not want look for him.
Far from it; on the very first day of Yun Che’s return, Ye Xinghan brought a total of four Sun Moon elders, fifteen protectorates, and did not hesitate to commandeer the Sun Moon Divine Ark to kill Yun Che.
Yet, in the end, they forced Yun Che’s master to act…”

Feng Hengkong raised his index finger.
“His master used just a tiny spark of flames the size of his finger to burn a Sun Moon Elder to nothingness in just a few breaths of time… Forget about a corpse, not even a strand of hair was left behind! If not for the fact that Yun Che’s master had long since distanced himself from worldly affairs and was unwilling to rashly commit murder, and that the Ninth Elder, who headed there as well, had desperately swore to never offend Yun Che ever again, not a single one of the Sun Moon Divine Hall members who went there shouldn’t even think about returning to Sun Moon Divine Hall alive.”

Feng Ximing was completely dumbstruck, as if he was listening to a heavenly tome being read.

“The strength of Yun Che’s master might even surpass the Ancestral Phoenix God’s to a level that we are unable to comprehend.
Presently, even the Four Great Sacred Grounds do not dare to offend Yun Che at all.
Although our Divine Phoenix Sect encountered a crisis because of Yun Che, thinking about it now, we must instead feel fortunate.
If the one who was forced into a desperate position was Yun Che and his master was forced out, the consequences… would have been unimaginable!”

“Yun Che’s potential is immeasurable.
His body possesses the Phoenix bloodline, he sincerely treats Xue’er well and is willing to protect her with his own life… Adding to that, he has such a powerful backer behind him.” Feng Hengkong closed his eyes.
“Although we hate him to the bone, when it comes to Xue’er’s marriage there is definitely no one else more suitable than him.
If she can marry him, not only can it soothe the resentment between our Divine Phoenix Sect and their Blue Wind Nation, our Divine Phoenix Sect will also garner massive support.
Even if the truth of our Ancestral Phoenix God’s passing is made known to the world before Xue’er’s power is completely awakened, the Four Great Sacred Grounds will definitely think twice before touching even a strand of our hair.”

Feng Ximing’s face was green one moment and white the next.
His lips trembled the entire time.
Not only did Feng Hengkong’s patient explanation of the circumstances not calm him down, the aura he emitted from his body had instead become even more chaotic.
He roared out loud, “So what!? This Xue’er we’re talking about! To royal father, this son… she is the most important person in the world.
How could you possibly use her like this…”

“What do you mean by use her!?” Hearing Feng Ximing’s words, the flames of fury which Feng Hengkong had been suppressing with all his might were now on the verge of exploding.
“This is Xue’er’s own will and desire! If Xue’er was unwilling, even if we had to sacrifice our life, we would never agree to it! Whether she was helplessly forced or entirely willing to do so… Could it be that you really aren’t certain of it in the bottom of your heart!?”

Feng Ximing’s expression paled once more.
He knelt limply on the ground as if in overcome with despair.
He sounded as if he were in pain as he implored, “Royal father… no matter what, you must not have Xue’er marry Yun Che… You dote upon Xue’er so much, you must be reluctant to let her go, right? Xue’er, she… she is our future Phoenix God after all.
She belongs to our Divine Phoenix Sect so she shouldn’t marry to an outsider…”

“Shut your mouth!” Feng Hengkong yelled furiously.
“Xue’er is the successor of our Ancestral Phoenix God.
She carries the mission of protecting our entire sect in the future but that doesn’t mean she must forever belong to our Divine Phoenix Sect, nor does she belong to anyone else! She can only belong to her own self! In another half year, she will be twenty years old and will be able to make her own decisions.
Even we only have the right to guide her on her path, but never will we have the qualifications to forcefully intervene or make decisions in her stead! Only this way can truly be good for her! As for you…” Feng Hengkong’s expression turned incomparably dark.
“The lingering filthy thoughts you have for Xue’er… we have never been willing to expose them but do you really think we weren’t aware of it!?”

“Royal father…” Feng Hengkong reached out his hands to grab onto Feng Hengkong’s ankle and pleaded with a trembling voice.
“This son really cannot lose Xue’er.
When this son thinks of Xue’er marrying to someone else… this son experiences feelings even more unbearable than death itself… This son begs royal father to revoke your order.
This son will definitely use everything he has to protect Xue’er and your child is able to give Xue’er everything that she wants… This son can lose the title of crown prince and lose the emperor’s seat… This son can abandon everything as long as…”

“Unfilial son!!” Feng Hengkong went into a rage.
Sending out one of his legs, despite Feng Ximing’s screams, he kicked his son out of the main hall.

Under his fury, this kick of his was extremely heavy, and a long trail of blood was splattered from the entrance of the main hall to the outside.

“Forget about you being her royal brother.
Even if you two aren’t siblings, you will never be worthy of Xue’er and Xue’er will never bat a single eye at you! Leave, shut yourself in the Phoenix Heart Hall, and reflect for a hundred days! If you dare spout such presumptuous words ever again, we shall personally cripple you!”

Feng Hengkong’s body trembled with anger.
As his father, how could he not clearly see through Feng Ximing’s thoughts? While Feng Xue’er’s charm was indeed hard for regular people to resist, although Feng Hengkong was acutely aware of it, he had never felt that it was beyond tolerance.

Yet he never expected that the thoughts Feng Ximing had for Feng Xue’er were this intense.
They had gotten to the point where Feng Ximing had dared to spout such outrageous and heretical statements.

Outside the main hall, Feng Ximing supported himself on the ground with a single hand, continuously coughing out several large mouthfuls of fresh blood.
He gasped for air as he stood up without uttering a word, stumbling away shortly after.
In the depths of his eyes, a terrifying glimmer of resentment shone…

“I can abandon everything… but I can’t not have Xue’er…”

“She can forever remain out of my reach… but no one else is allowed to have her either!”

“Feng Hengkong… you forced me to do this…”

“All of you have forced me to do this!!!”