Chapter 531 - Could it be a Conspiracy?
Back when Yun Che listened to Yun Qinghong talk about the stories of the past, he remembered that he clearly mentioned that the Little Demon Emperor disappeared the night he married the Little Demon Empress… He thought that it was strange back then even if the Little Demon Emperor was desperate to save his father and his heart was bitter, would it kill him to leave two or three days later? He just had to run away to Profound Sky Continent at this crucial time for a suicide mission.
Now he suddenly understood; not having the desire to get married when he didn’t know if his father was dead or alive was just an excuse, his real intention was to run away!
If I were married to this woman who was that scary even just hearing about her, I would run away too!
Mn? That’s not right! The Little Demon Emperor was the Demon Emperor’s heir, the master of the Illusory Demon Realm. With his identity, all of Illusory Demon Realm’s women should be free pickings, what kind of woman couldn’t he find? Why did he choose some scary woman who sounded like a reanimated ghoul as his Demon Empress… could it be that the Little Demon Empress was from a prominent family? But that still doesn’t make sense. In Illusory Demon Realm, what family background could be greater than the Illusory Demon Royal Family… and the Little Demon Emperor was the Illusory Demon Royal Family’s first chair! No matter what, he shouldn’t have to tolerate this.
“Xiao Yun, what is the family background of the Little Demon Empress? Why did the Little Demon Emperor marry her back then?” Yun Che asked out of curiosity from his heart.
“Uh, it’s because the Little Demon Emperor can only marry her.”
Xiao Yun’s answer stunned Yun Che: “Can only marry her? What does that mean?”
“Big Brother, I can’t believe you didn’t know that… oh!” Xiao Yun suddenly realized, “Right, right! I subconsciously forgot it again. Big Brother, you are from the Profound Sky Continent. Hehe, here in Illusory Demon Realm, no one would ever ask a question like that.”
Xiao Yun started explaining, “The Demon Emperor can have multiple wives, but the Demon Empress was set ahead of time for him. Because the Demon Emperor’s bloodline must be preserved as complete and perfect, the Demon Empress who marries the Demon Emperor must also have the purest Demon Emperor’s bloodline, so their offspring would continue to have the most complete Demon Emperor’s bloodline and inherit the Demon Emperor position. This is a basic principle that the Demon Emperor’s bloodline had which could never be broken.”
“As for the children that were borne by other wives, they would be bestowed the title of duke, and can intermarry with other families, but can never inherit the position of the Emperor. But, I heard Father said, that the Demon Emperor’s bloodline would consciously not let the bloodline outflow. So in the recent thousands of years, the previous Demon Emperors rarely married other wives besides the Demon Empress, and even if they married, they would purposely not have any children with them. So now, the Illusory Demon Royal Family does not have a Grand Prince anymore. The Duke Hui Ye that we saw today, and his father Duke Huai, are dukes who have the closest relationship with the Demon Emperor’s bloodline. However, even though that is so, the Demon Emperor’s bloodline in their veins are just too light.”
Xiao Yun’s explained very clearly, but Yun Che, who was listening, was stunned. He asked while trying to sound out, “If what I know is correct, the Demon Emperor’s bloodline seems to only have one bloodline. If this bloodline were to be kept pure, then the Demon Empress must also have the purest Demon Emperor’s Bloodline, so does that mean… the Little Demon Emperor and the Little Demon Empress are… are…”
“Oh, the Little Demon Empress is the Little Demon Emperor’s older sister,” Xiao Yun said casually.
Yun Che, “!@#$%…”
“Um? Big Brother, what’s wrong? Your face… suddenly became so strange?” Xiao Yun seemed to not really understand why Yun Che’s face was twitching like that.
“…The Demon Emperor’s bloodline… has been like this for generations?” When Yun Che spoke, even wind was coming out from the gaps in his teeth.
“Yeah.” Xiao Yun nodded, like it was something normal. His facial expression was as normal as ever, “Each generation of Demon Emperor and Demon Empress would give birth to a son and a daughter, and those son and daughter would become the next generation’s Demon Emperor and Demon Empress. There are a lot of other families like this, especially those that can pass down their bloodline power. To prevent the bloodline power from passing on to outsiders, it is forbidden to intermarry with another family. The inheritance of the Patriarch must not mix, that is the clan’s greatest taboo… We, the Yun family, are not as strict, because the men can pass down the Profound Handle to the next generation, but not the women. So women in the Yun family can intermarry another family, but men cannot leave the Yun family and marry into another family.”
Yun Che stared straight at Xiao Yun for a long while, and said slowly, “In the Profound Sky Continent, blood relatives cannot marry each other.”
“Why?” Xiao Yun’s eyes widened, “Marrying the person closest to you can make sure that the offspring also has the purest bloodline. The Profound Sky Continent… is so strange!”
From the view of the people of Profound Sky Continent, you are the strange ones… Yun Che gnashed his teeth and thought. This is called cultural differences, that’s right, a real life example of cultural differences!
No wonder the Little Demon Emperor would marry the terrifying Little Demon Empress, it’s because he didn’t have a choice!
Seems like it’s also not easy being the Illusory Demon Emperor.
“Now that the Little Demon Emperor is dead, the one who has the purest bloodline in the whole Illusory Demon Realm would be the Little Demon Empress. It is impossible for the Little Demon Empress to give birth to the next generation alone… that means, starting from the next generation after the Little Demon Empress, the pure Demon Emperor’s bloodline would not exist anymore,” Yun Che mumbled and said, “On top of that, with the Little Demon Empress being a woman, no wonder those dukes would spawn disloyalty, with even some of the guardian families’ loyalty are starting to collapse.”
“Yes, that’s right,” Xiao Yun nodded, “Father said this is the biggest crisis the Demon Emperor’s clan has faced since a million years ago.”
“The Little Demon Emperor was too rash. His eagerness to save his father and take back the Demon Emperor’s Seal was understandable, but he should know that the safety of his life determines the whole Demon Emperor’s clan’s heir and future! If he died, the Illusory Demon Realm would no longer have a pure Demon Emperor’s bloodline. The Demon Emperor died in Profound Sky Continent. My grandfather and Yun family’s top ten fighters also died there. He should’ve known that he would surely die if he went to Profound Sky Continent alone… If he really wanted to suicide, at least wait until the Little Demon Empress bore a son and a daughter… Rather than being rash, it was more like being stupid!”
Yun Che’s eyebrow suddenly raised.
Wait!
When he first arrived at the Illusory Demon Realm, it didn’t take effort for him to think about the serious and irreparable consequence, so how could the Little Demon Emperor not think of it? Being the heir to the Demon Emperor’s bloodline, the Little Demon Emperor should naturally value passing down the bloodline more than anyone else… that was something more important that himself, and a thousand million times more important than his Father’s life…
Then why did he go and suicide so stupidly?
A possibility flashed across Yun Che’s mind… is it possible that the Little Demon Emperor went to Profound Sky Continent for some other hidden reason?
Or… he didn’t actually die in Profound Sky Continent!? Is the knowledge that everyone has in Illusory Demon Realm all fake because someone made it up to cover something up?
After all, the Little Demon Emperor “disappeared” on their newly wedded night, and left a note informing people that he departed for the Profound Sky Continent, but no one actually saw him leave the Profound Sky Continent. No one even saw with their own eyes if he actually left… if the Little Demon Emperor was not a complete moron, then, there was a huge possibility that there was something hidden… or some conspiracy.
Yun Chen eyebrows tightened, and thought back to when he was first at Heavenly Sword Villa. Back then, when Ling Kun used his words to provoke Grandfather Yun Canghai, he seemed to have mentioned the Little Demon Emperor…
Yun Che closed his eyes, and concentrated on remembering what Ling Kun said back then…
“…It’s no harm for me to tell you again that your Demon Emperor had already died a long time ago. Died under hands of our Mighty Heavenly Sword Region’s Sword Master and Sun Moon Divine Hall’s Heavenly Monarch… Your pitiful Demon Emperor who had just ascended to the throne, overestimated his own abilities and wanted to take revenge for his father. Tsk, tsk… his cries were so pitiful when dying. Right now, the entire Illusory Demon Realm is supported by a little demon empress…”
Yun Che, “…”
Yun Che had an extremely strong memory. When he focused and thought back, he could make sure he didn’t miss a single word… Ling Kun talked about the Little Demon Emperor’s pitiful death… but he didn’t mention where he died, or how… At least, he never said he died in the Profound Sky Continent.
Xiao Yun didn’t notice Yun Che’s sudden facial changes. He nodded and said, “The Little Demon Emperor was really too rash. I heard that the day he was married, he drank a lot of alcohol, and he didn’t use his profound strength to resolve his drunkenness, so he lost his mind after he drank, and acted rashly… That could be, hehe, because he didn’t know how to face the Little Demon Empress on their wedding night. I heard my Father said, that the Little Demon Emperor was actually very afraid of the Little Demon Empress.”
“Afraid?”
“To be accurate, it should be respectful and afraid,” Xiao Yun said, “I heard Father say that the Little Demon Emperor had an air of arrogance, but was also really compassionate. As soon as he was born, he had a fearless personality. Even the previous Demon Emperor couldn’t control him, but the only person he was scared of was his sister… oh, who was also the Little Demon Empress. Little Demon Empress’ profound energy cultivation was always stronger than his, and from youth, she was domineering person. Every time the Little Demon Emperor didn’t behave himself, she would beat him up until he obeyed. Even when the Little Demon Emperor saw the previous Demon Emperor, he would be bossy and tyrannical, but when he saw his sister, he would be docile and obedient, and wouldn’t even dare to breathe. Even our Father would also be well-behaved in front of the Little Demon Empress… I heard from Mother once that back then, Father and the Little Demon Emperor went to the Northern Passes on the spur of the moment, and disappeared for a month without a word. When they came back, the Little Demon Emperor was beaten up by the Little Demon Empress… and Father was beaten up along as well, with more than thirty bones broken, and had to lie in bed for half a month…”
“…So…cruel!” Yun Che listened with his heart jumping and his skin crawling.
“But, even though the Little Demon Empress was always dominant, her personality wasn’t extreme, and it was hard not to respect and approve of her. When she was about twenty years old, she took over the Illusory Demon Royal Family’s affairs, and almost everything was taken care of perfectly; even the twelve guardian family’s Patriarchs were respectful to her… until the news of the death of the previous Demon Emperor broke out. And after Little Demon Emperor passed away, her personality changed completely. Her aura, the expressions in her eyes, her actions, all became terrifying. Whenever she appeared, everyone became silent, and it seemed like during these past few hundred years, she had never smiled again.”
Having just lost her father, and her brother… Mn, or husband, it would be strange if she didn’t resent or get mad! Yun Che thought, and said, “Her family is dead. Left alone with the purest Demon Emperor’s bloodline, she not only bore the pain of losing her family, but also bore all the responsibility. At the same time, she is a woman. To inherit the position of Emperor, and be pressured by a number rejections, by political pressure, by gossip… that could not be easy. In that situation, if she wasn’t strong and malicious, let alone a hundred years, she wouldn’t even have lasted for ten years.”
“Mn, mn!” Xiao Yun nodded, “Father said the same thing! Father rarely compliments anyone, but these years, Father complimented the Little Demon Empress many times. At the same time, he also worried many times for the Demon Emperor Clan’s future. After all, after the Little Demon Empress, there would never be another one with the Demon Emperor’s pure bloodline…”
“Whatever, that’s the Little Demon Empress’ problem. Not mentioning the future, it’s uncertain that she would still be the Little Demon Empress even a month from now. That Duke Huai was not afraid to run rampant, and he also doesn’t seem to be afraid of the Little Demon Empress knowing about it. Seems like he is not only ambitious, but also very confident.” Yun Che said, curling his lips.
One month later at the Demon Empress’ Grand Ceremony, I should be able to see the legendary Little Demon Empress… Yun Che lowered his eyebrows and muttered… your attitude, will determine whether or not I return that item to you… or else, even though this is Grandfather’s dying wish, I will disobey! I hope… you will not disappoint me!
The “big secret” that Grandfather wanted me to tell you, I will have to see if you have the ability to make me want to tell you myself!
As for the Mirror of Samsara… sorry, I’m not going to return it to your Demon Emperor Clan, because that already belongs to me!
Chapter 532 - Outside Demon Imperial City
The Yun Family that had been noisy the entire day, finally quietened down, but every Yun family member’s state of mind was still at a hard-to-calm excited state. Night quietly fell. The quiet within Demon Imperial City’s night was still the same as ever, seeming to not have been affected by the “great matter” which happened in Yun Family.
Yet news of Yun Qinghong and his wife having fully recovered their profound strength had already spread throughout the entire Demon Imperial City in the evening, causing great waves to occur in all the great clans and powers.
From the second day onward, Yun Family’s gate became exceedingly lively as an endless stream of people came to express their wishes to pay Yun Qinghong a visit. And every single person who came was possessed of a startling pedigree, yet every single one of them were politely declined. They were informed that the Patriarch would not be entertaining any guests for three days.
And the Clan Assembly which was supposed to be convened on the second day was pushed to after the third day on orders from Yun Qinghong.
Because this was the period of three days where Yun Qinghong knelt by Yun Canghai’s body, watching over it. And for the entirety of three days, he did not eat nor drink; did not move nor sleep. And Mu Yurou was by his side, accompanying him in kneeling and watching over Yun Canghai’s body; she did not leave his side at any moment.
If it was not for the important matter at hand, Yun Qinghong would have knelt for a month… Or maybe even longer than that.
However, the fact that Yun Canghai’s remains had been returned was not made public. Besides the four of them, no one else knew. And three days later, the Coffin of Eternity which held Yun Canghai’s remains was retrieved by Yun Che and put into the Sky Poison Pearl. Yun Qinghong did not object, because even though he did not know what Yun Che wanted to do, he believed in Yun Che; he believed in his own son.
As for the Mirror of Samsara, upon Yun Che stating that he was not willing to return it to the Demon Emperor Clan, Yun Qinghong only had a brief moment of hesitation. After that, he simply handed the the Mirror of Samsara back to Yun Che. His son had recently returned and his joy, comfort and contentment, coupled with the guilt and the debt he felt he owed Yun Che for the past twenty-plus years… All of this manifested itself as him and Mu Yurou not being willing to reject anything Yun Che wanted, no matter how overboard he went; even if it was to the point of violating some of their own principles.
And as for the fact that Yun Che was actually a scion of the Yun Family, this was only known by the four of them as well. Because once this matter had spread out, it would invariably lead to people connecting matters to the ‘Profound Sky Continent’ and this would lead to unpredictable trouble or even danger for the Yun Che who had just arrived at this time.
They would rather the people who had marked Yun Che and went to check on his background come up with nothing, so their hearts would be filled with misgivings and apprehension, and they would act with caution and prudence so as to not cause unwarranted damage.
And as the person who had rendered extraordinary service to the Yun Family by eradicating the root of their impending calamity, coupled with his status as the Patriarch’s godson, Yun Che’s approval rating within the Yun Family had risen exponentially. Even if the elders of the Yun Family saw him, they would greet him with faint smiles and display expressions filled with praise; there were even some who lavished him with generous praise when they saw him.
The night deepened and all was silent.
In the past few days, Yun Che did not go out much; he spent the majority of his time in the training room, concentrating on cultivating the Extreme Mirage Lightning movement skill while getting used to the weight of the Heaven Smiting Devil Slayer Sword.
“It’s about time to see the fruits of my training.” Yun Che mumbled to himself.
Bang!
The Frozen End Illusory Mirror was shattered by him. Yun Che exhaled lightly and the aura of profound energy that was emanating from his body began to swiftly recede. In the blink of an eye, it seemed as if all the energy that had been emanating outwards had disappeared. Forget about profound energy field, even the sound of his breathing and the beating of his heart seemed to have completely disappeared. If a person had his back faced towards Yun Che, he would not even be able to detect his presence at all.
Upon the activation of the skill ‘Hidden Flowing Lightning’, a considerable amount of profound energy was used to rigidly lock up his aura within his body. When he let the skill persist, it required a set amount of profound energy to continue functioning, but this amount of profound energy was so small that it could not even catch up to Yun Che’s profound energy recovery rate that was boosted by the Great Way of the Buddha. He maintained the concealed state bestowed by Hidden Flowing Lightning and changed into a set of black clothes. He exited the practice room, jumped onto the rooftop, and started moving after he had randomly chosen a direction.
Moreover, his current status in the Yun Family had received a huge boost, so even if he was discovered by other people, it would not be a huge deal. But what filled him with joy was that even though he had flown through a good half of the Yun Family grounds, not a single person had noticed his presence!
And this place was not some random ramshackle slum. It was filled with a countless number of strong individuals who stood at the peak of power. Even if you randomly picked one of them, that person was a member of the Yun Clan who could send shockwaves through the entire Illusory Demon Realm. In normal circumstances, the aura of a Sky Profound Realm practitioner could not even be hidden from a Emperor Profound Realm practitioner, so it was needless to say that an Overlord could do so as well. Everywhere else, Overlords were as rare as phoenix feathers and qilin horns, but in Demon Imperial City, they practically littered the streets. And especially in the Yun Family, they were a dime a dozen. Yet Yun Che had circled the entire Yun Family holdings and not a single person had discovered his presence.
Yun Che had been on the run countless of times and his ability to conceal his presence was already extremely strong. Now with the aid of Hidden Flowing Lightning, the results had exceeded even his own expectations. Because even if Yun Qinghong wanted to tour around the Yun Family holdings without being detected and without arousing any attention, it was practically impossible.
“If I had learned this Hidden Flowing Lightning when I was in the Azure Cloud Continent, I would not have had to endure the misery of having to constantly be on the run!” Yun Che vented within his mind. After that, he directly exited the Yun Family holdings and entered Demon Imperial City, which was shrouded in night.
Even though Yun Che had been in the Demon Imperial City for two months, he spent practically all of this time helping Yun Qinghong and Mu Yurou make a full recovery, so he had never actually properly visited Demon Imperial City.
Even within the pitch-black of night, it was naturally hard to affect the vision of a strong profound practitioner. As Yun Che travelled north, he did not move at too fast of a pace, so he could maintain the greatest degree of concealment. On the journey, he felt the presences of many strong individuals, but not one of these strong individuals had discovered him. And after he had run his eyes over the Demon Imperial City which was submerged in the curtain of night, Yun Che finally could not resist testing out the power of Extreme Mirage Lightning. He fiercely exhaled, not caring that this would very likely cause others to perceive him. His body instantly seemed to have morphed into a bolt of lightning and he flew forward at great speed. In the blink of an eye, he had completely disappeared into the night.
If you were to consider instantaneous movement speed, Extreme Mirage Lightning naturally could not compete with Star God’s Broken Shadow, but not many profound movement skills could compare with it anyways. However, in terms of continuous movement speed, Star God’s Broken Shadow was also definitively outclassed by Extreme Mirage Lightning. As he flew, it was really as if he had become the image of lightning itself. Before he could even react, he had already moved past more than three hundred fifty meters of distance.
And in comparison to the speed that Hua Minghai had displayed to him while running away, his current speed had actually surpassed the standard that had been set back then.
After all, Yun Che’s current profound energy was far richer than Hua Minghai’s profound energy at that time.
Yun Che could not help but think… Hua Minghai had relied on the two skills Extreme Mirage Lightning and Hidden Flowing Lightning to become known as the number one thief in the Profound Sky, so now the current him… had he not surpassed Hua Minghai to become the new number one thief… Hmm?! No that’s not right, I am definitely not some thief!
Even though Yun Che had been cultivating Extreme Mirage Lightning for more than a month, because he did not want to attract any attention while he was in the Yun Family before this, he did not dare act indiscriminately, so even if he had performed the skill, it was only within the confines of the practice room. Now that he wantonly displayed its full capability, he unexpectedly needed a good long while to get used to the extreme speed that was produced. But under this extreme speed, it was as though he had become a gale of wind. The feeling that he had left the entire world eating his dust was incomparably refreshing, so Yun Che unwittingly stirred his profound energy and kept increasing the speed at which he was moving.
Whoosh!!!
Under the blanket of darkness, an old man who was walking along the streets of Demon Imperial City suddenly heard the sound of a violently rushing wind echo in the skies above. He raised his head, but that sound had already trailed off into the distance; he did not even see hide nor hair of the person who had just passed by.
“What, what a fast speed… Could it be that it is a Monarch from one of the big families?” The old man breathed excitedly.
Not only was the speed displayed by Extreme Mirage Lightning shocking beyond compare, the expenditure of profound energy was also far less than what he had expected. Yun Che had unknowingly already travelled more than one hundred fifty kilometers, and this entire process was done under the fastest speed he could travel. However, he did not feel the least bit tired, nor was he even short of breath.
Yun Che had finally come to a stop, but just as he was about to return, he suddenly realized that what laid in front of him was actually the tall city gates of Demon Imperial City.
According to the direction he had flown… This place was actually the northern gates of Demon Imperial City?
After roughly estimating the current time, Yun Che had become somewhat flabbergasted. Just this little time and effort, and he was actually already at the outskirts of Demon Imperial City… The speed of Extreme Mirage Lightning was simply akin to that of galloping lightning; it was fast to the point of being incomprehensible. And his own profound energy level was only at the peak of the Sky Profound Realm. But to be able to rush from the Yun Family household all the way to the northern gates of the Demon Imperial City within such a short span of time, this feat was only achievable by someone who, at the very least, had to be at the peak of the Tyrant Profound Realm!
When he had come to Demon Imperial City, he entered from the southern gates. And this place was at the other end of Demon Imperial City. Yun Che lapsed into thought, and then decided to abandon the notion of returning home. He decided to continue flying forward, and very soon, he flew out of the city limits, leaving Demon Imperial City.
“Where are you going?” The moment Yun Che had activated Extreme Mirage Lightning to move as swiftly as lightning, Jasmine had been startled awake from her sleep.
“Whoaa… Where is this place? It’s so black!” Hong’er had also been jostled awake. But Hong’er’s ability to sleep was far greater than Jasmine’s. Jasmine, in order to suppress the devilish poison within her body, had to sleep for around ten hours each day. But Hong’er had to sleep for at least twenty hours a day, and if she wasn’t woken up by her hunger, she could even sleep the entire day away.
“Xiao Yun had mentioned before that Golden Crow Lightning Flame Valley was directly north of Demon Imperial City, so if I keep travelling north from here, I might even be able to catch a glimpse of that place.” Yun Che replied.
“You want to go to Golden Crow Lightning Flame Valley? That place is known as the most important location in the entire Illusory Demon Realm, and even the Twelve Guardian Families are not normally allowed to enter. There will definitely be extremely strong guardians or restrictions lying in wait, so even if you can find it, what can you do?”
“I am only curious as to what sort of place it is exactly. After Xiao Yun had described it as being so mystical, it being the reason that there is such a big gap between the young generation of the Yun Family and the rest of the Guardian Families, all because the Yun Family was barred from entering it for one hundred years… Ah, I am only speaking casually. I don’t really want to find out the location of that place, and even if I do find it, I will not try to enter…”
“Because even if I want to enter, I want to enter that place with my head held up high! And go in together with Father, Mother and Xiao Yun!”
As he was speaking, Yun Che had unexpectedly already traversed over fifty kilometers. The clouds in the night sky had already vanished without him noticing and a bright, shining half-moon hung in the night sky, with the radiance of the moonlight dispelling a good part of the darkness. Underneath Yun Che was a plain of rolling green grass and he could hardly sense the presence of any people, demons or beasts. When he looked ahead, he only saw a vast, spacious emptiness.
“Strange, this place isn’t too far from Demon Imperial City, it isn’t remote nor wild, yet there isn’t a single person or demon to be found? Yun Che said in a mystified voice. After that he came to a realization, “Could it be that because Golden Crow Lightning Flame Valley was in this direction, no one is allowed to be in the vicinity?”
After chewing on this for a while, it ended up seeming to be the most suitable explanation.
“Master! Quick, look, that place is shiny! Is there something nice to eat there?!”
Hong’er’s excited and coquettish voice rang out. Yun Che looked down, and below him was indeed something that sparkled brilliantly. He said with a helpless expression on his face, “That is a small lake, it’s not something shiny! And it’s definitely not something delicious for you to eat!”
The surface of the lake reflected the moonlight, and under the curtain of night, it shone with an exceptional brilliance… For Hong’er, there were only two types of food, one was swords and the other was precious stones which shone with all kinds of light. And after Hong’er understood just what kind of food she liked to eat, by her definition, anything that was shiny, was definitely something nice to eat!
“Small lake? Oh….” Hong’er’s voice fell and her previous excitement completely died down.
“Yun Che, go down there and take a look.” Jasmine said suddenly.
Chapter 533 - The Strange Bewitching Maiden
Yun Che’s body stopped, “What did you discover?”
“That little lake, there seems to be a very special aura emanating from it.” Jasmine said slowly, “And it is similar to an aura that I am familiar with… In fact, it seems to slightly resemble… the aura of the Golden Crow!”
Golden Crow?
“You have come in contact with the aura of the Golden Crow before?” Yun Che asked reflexively.
“That isn’t important right now. Even though it is very faint, it is extremely unusual for a lake to be able to exude an aura which is similar to that of the Golden Crow. Go down and confirm it.”
The power of the Golden Crow belonged to the element of fire, but a lake would naturally be filled with water, so it did sound extremely unusual. After Yun Che confirmed that there was no one else in the surrounding area, he complied with Jasmine’s words. He drifted down and landed on the side of the lake.
This was a very small lake. In fact, it was not much bigger than a pond, and with just a glance, you could see its limit. However, the water in the lake was exceptionally clear; even under the hazy moonlight, one could still see directly to the bottom of the lake.
The area that was seventy meters beyond the lake was covered in a thick swathe of uneven and wild foliage, but the plants that grew there were not a healthy green, instead, they seemed to be dry and withered. Within that circle of seventy meters surrounding the lake, an area which should have been most suitable for plants to grow, there was not even a single blade of grass which grew there; it was just flat ground.
The night wind drifted up from the lake’s surface, and this night wind, which should have carried along with it the cool and refreshing feeling of lake water, instead caused Yun Che to experience a distinct feeling of dry heat, which was extremely bizarre. His heart skipped a beat and he crouched down, dipping his hand into the lake… The water was not cool, it was instead, practically at body temperature.
Demon Imperial City was already located to the north of the Illusory Demon Realm so it should’ve been a cold region. Right now, it was night time, so the lake water should be cool to the point of being icy cold. It definitely should not even be anywhere near this warm.
“Within the waters of the lake lies an aura which is definitely similar to the aura given off by the Golden Crow’s flames. However, I cannot confirm that it is actually the Golden Crow’s flame energy.” Jasmine said evenly.
Yun Che muttered under his breath, stood up, and said in an uncertain tone, “Could it be because this place is in such a state because it is close to Golden Crow Lightning Flame Valley?”
“No!” Jasmine retorted, “Take a look at your surroundings. Only the small area which is near the lake is devoid of any sort of plant life. It’s as if everything around the lake had been burned up completely. Yet once it gets further away from the lake, you can see that a thick undergrowth has sprung up all around this area. If it was really due to Golden Crow Lightning Flame Valley, then it should’ve happened to this entire region. If I am not wrong, there is someone who is releasing the Golden Crow’s flame energy into the lake, and from the looks of it, it wasn’t too long ago that this happened; only two or three days ago at most.”
“Releasing flame energy into the lake water? Why?” Yun Che asked in a mystified tone.
“Perhaps it wasn’t done on purpose, but it was the Golden Crow’s flame energy within the person’s body that was left behind after the person had been submerged in the lake for some time. But it is far more likely that someone cannot completely control the Golden Crow’s flame energy within his body, so that person relied on the lake’s water to help calm it down. This alternative is the far more likely one, because the flames of the Golden Crow are incomparably fierce and explosive; if you do not cultivate the 《Golden Crow’s Record of the Burning World》 and you just rely on profound energy alone to try to control the Golden Crow’s flame energy like a normal profound flame, that would basically be impossible! Also, the purer your Golden Crow bloodline is, the more true that statement becomes!”
“Hm, so that’s it…” Yun Che slowly nodded his head. The Illusory Demon Royal Family all possessed of some measure of the Golden Crow bloodline and the bloodline of the Demon Emperors possessed the purest strain of this Golden Crow bloodline. Could it be that someone from the Illusory Demon Royal Family had bathed in this lake?
But there didn’t seem to be any value in investigating any further. If he wanted to witness the Golden Crow’s flame energy, he could simply do so by entering Golden Crow Lightning Flame Valley. That place was somewhere he definitely could not miss out on!
However, this place was a blanketed in a sea of stillness and there was no one around to disturb him, so Yun Che felt that it was a good place to practice his sword skills.
“The night is still young. Since I have travelled so far, I might as well put myself through the paces and practice my sword skills!” Yun Che extended his arm, “Hong’er, you’re not allowed to sleep, prepare to…”
“Wait!!” Jasmine suddenly shouted, “Hide your presence and conceal yourself immediately, someone’s coming… and this person is an extremely powerful individual!”
To be able to be described as ‘extremely powerful’ by Jasmine, this was definitely no laughing matter. The person who was coming was at the very least someone he definitely had no way to deal with. And if it happened to be an enemy or a villain, he could not even call for help in this remote place which was so far from the Demon Imperial City. Yun Che swiftly used Hidden Flowing Lightning to conceal his presence, and after that, he soundlessly submerged himself into the wild undergrowth behind him.
The foliage was not very tall, but it was extremely dense, so it could cover up Yun Che’s entire body. Not long after he hid, a vague figure appeared in the sky directly within his field of vision. After that, in just a fraction of a second, the figure seemed to slip through the night sky like flowing light, closing approaching until it was only one hundred meters away from Yun Che…
So fast! Yun Che exclaimed in his heart. At the same time, he quickly ducked his head to prevent the other party from noticing his gaze… Once your spiritual perception had achieved a certain degree of acuteness, even if you did not use your eyes, you would definitely notice it if you were being watched… and Yun Che had this kind of ability. The other person’s astounding speed was a manifestation of an incomparably strong strength… This person’s strength might not even lose to his father, Yun Qinghong.
Right after Yun Che had even made his gaze inconspicuous, he suddenly realized that the other person’s speed had noticeably slowed. After that, the other party came to a stop not far from where he was, still hovering in midair.
Yun Che suddenly froze… Could it be that I have been discovered? Shit! How could this Hidden Flowing Lightning suddenly become useless at the most critical juncture?! Or maybe… the other person’s profound energy is simply too strong, so even after I used Hidden Flowing Lightning, I am still unable to escape his spiritual perception?
But after a short while, Yun Che breathed a silent sigh of relief. Because even though the other person had come to a stop, he did not notice any gaze being directed towards himself. A profound energy aura was released from this person’s body and it swept across the surrounding area. It also swept across Yun Che’s position but it continued without any interruptions, so this was proof that Yun Che still had not been detected yet… But once that profound energy aura had swept through his body, it caused his entire body to violently stiffen while the organs in his body tightened up suddenly. A bone-piercing chill filled him entirely, even seeping into his blood.
This person… What a terrifying aura!
Yun Che was completely convinced that the strength of this profound energy aura was not inferior to Yun Qinghong’s in any way!
The strength of this profound energy aura was actually secondary to the fact that it also clearly carried with it an exceedingly heavy feeling of suppression! The strength of this suppression made Yun Che feel like all the blood in his body was going to congeal.
And if Yun Che was affected to this extent, then if it was someone else, it was possible that under this oppressive feeling, that person would directly kneel on the ground while trembling all over.
What kind of individual is this… He did not discover my presence, but he stopped here anyways. This meant that this person was going to come here all along.
A Sovereign Profound Realm expert; what was someone like that doing here in the middle of the night?
That person floated in midair for a good long while, and after confirming that there was no one in the vicinity, that person withdrew his spiritual perception. At the same time, Yun Che raised his head with the utmost caution to look in that person’s direction. Because in the relatively clear moonlight, he could clearly see this person’s features. And after he did, his expression instantly became stunned…
Someone who was possessed of such a strong profound energy and emitted such a shocking feeling of oppressiveness; Yun Che had expected to see an old person who had a grand and mighty visage, or perhaps a middle-aged person with a severe and reserved countenance… Or at least, even if it was someone who seemed to looked very young, he would not have been so flabbergasted.
But directly in his field of vision, there was clearly a….
Little girl?!
Yun Che tightly shut his eyes, then opened them again, and what he saw…. was still a little girl!!
The girl looked to be very young, at most fourteen to fifteen years of age. She even looked younger than the initial appearance of Feng Xue’er all those years ago. She was wearing an ill-fitting ugly grey long dress… No, it could not be called a dress, it was instead an unornamented, dark grey robe. The girl’s figure was extremely small and delicate, and even these robes which were not too big could not show her figure. Instead, as it was billowing in the night wind, the hem of the robe had nearly engulfed the girl’s ankles.
This girl… was dressed really strangely.
But this strangely dressed little girl had an exceedingly beautiful and delicate face; her complexion was also exquisite. At least for the Yun Che who had seen far too many outstanding beauties in his life, after he saw her face, even he felt like he could not breathe for a while. It was practically on par with the impact he had felt when he had first seen Feng Xue’er…
Xia Qingyue had a kind of pure and cold beauty, Feng Xue’er possessed an illusory and ethereal beauty and Jasmine had a bewitching enchanting beauty… While this girl also had a beauty that was incomparably strange and bewitching, but the bewitching feeling she gave off was different from Jasmine’s. It was a kind of sinister and dangerous feeling of enchantment. It caused Yun Che to unwittingly feel like he was staring at a cold-blooded emotionless death god when he looked at her. And it made him feel like if he came near her or made contact with her, he would die a terrible death.
Even though she looked like she was only a young girl, her features were already at the pinnacle of beauty. However, the sinister and bone-chilling cold she emanated was even more extreme than that. Yun Che definitely believed that when people faced her, the first thing they would notice was not her breathtaking beauty, but would first feel pure terror because of her aura… and gaze!
While floating in the middle of the night sky, her eyes were also an unusual gloomy black, and they gleamed with a dull black light under the moonlight. After noticing those pair of eyes, Yun Che felt like he had been drawn into a boundlessly deep night sky; one which had no limits. And once he fell into that gaze, it was as though he had been consigned into an eternal abyss of pure darkness, never to escape… He practically averted his gaze instantly while a chill ran down his spine.
This little girl… who exactly was she?!
Moreover, a young girl who looked like she was only fourteen or fifteen, yet actually possessed the profound strength of a Monarch… and she should even be a mid stage Monarch!
Monarch; this was a term that represented the pinnacle of the profound world. Within the Profound Sky Seven Nations, it was an existence that was akin to myths, but in this place… Father was a Monarch, Mother was a Monarch, Uncle was a Monarch… and even a fourteen or fifteen year old girl had the strength of a Monarch!!
This grand term, Monarch, just when did it seem like this title had become worth so little!
“This person! What a heavy vicious aura she is emitting! Looks like she has killed her fair share of people.” Jasmine said in a bland voice. With her capabilities, she would naturally not be frightened by this little girl, “She should belong the Illusory Demon Royal Family.”
“How did you know?”
“Because she has the presence of the Golden Crow bloodline within her body.” Jasmine warned Yun Che, “You better hide as best as you can and pray that you don’t get discovered. Based on the vicious aura she is emitting, if she discovers your existence, she will slaughter you with no hesitation whatsoever!”
Yun Che, “…She came all the way here by herself in the middle of the night. What is she intending to do? Could it be that she is waiting for someone?”
After Yun Che had finished speaking to Jasmine, the girl who had been still for a long while suddenly moved, and her body slowly descended to the ground.
Her hair was very long and it grew all the way to below her hips. It was as pitch black as a starless night sky. The night wind brushed her hair across a face which was like white jade. Once the soles of her feet touched the heart of the lake, she stopped there and lightly closed her eyes.
In the instant she closed her eyes, the heavy, sinister and icy-cold aura that was emanating from her vanished without a trace, as the oppressive feeling that weighed on Yun Che’s body and mind vanished as well… The young girl quietly stood in the heart of the lake, her expression serene, while her black hair lightly danced in the wind. It painted a picture of ethereal beauty that no one would want to disturb… Yun Che just stared at her in a daze, to the point where he even suspected that his previous perception of her was all a misperception.
Slowly the girl spread out both her arms, and a pair of small white hands that were as tender and translucent as jade porcelain peeked out from under her broad sleeves. Following that, her body continued to descend, until her calves submerged in the lake… At this time, a cluster of scorching flames sprang forth from her body.
The flames were dull, but they spread rapidly, and soon, they engulfed her entire body. In the midst of the flames, her black hair began to dance wildly… But, it was not the wildly dancing hair which grabbed Yun Che’s attention. Because as the fire began to burn on her body, her grey robe quickly turned into grey ashes… Once the fire died out, a snow-white, delicate, fine jade body which would move the heart of anyone revealed itself proudly as the night wind blew… and it also appeared directly before Yun Che’s eyes.
Chapter 534 - Narrowly Escaping Death
Yun Che’s eyes widened while his mouth completely gaped open… If his self-control was not good enough, a sound would have definitely escaped from his throat.
He had only acted on a fancy today to use Extreme Mirage Lightning to go for a spin, and then conveniently practice his sword skills. Little did he know that in this isolated and desolate place, a terrifying Sovereign Profound Realm individual would show up in the dead of night… If it was only this, he could still cope, but it was clear this individual had an extremely bad temper, so he had no choice but to hide… And this bad-tempered individual was actually a young girl… And to top it off, this young girl, before his very eyes… burned all her clothes to a crisp and was now was as naked as the day she was born!
What the heck was going on?!
If it was only an ordinary girl, it would not be the least bit exaggerated to say that given her perfect looks, she held the title of the number one beauty in the Illusory Demon Realm, so Yun Che would definitely feast his eyes on this delicate morsel. But the problem here was that this little lady’s profound strength and the aura she projected was simply too terrifying… If he was discovered before this, since there was no prior hatred or animosity, she might just let him off the hook.
But right now, if she discovers him… even he would have felt that it was abnormal if she did not rip him to shreds.
Yun Che shut his eyes with lightning speed and his heart violently jumped in his chest. But immediately, a self-righteous voice resounded in his head: What are you nervous and guilty about?! It’s not like you deliberately wanted to peep on her. You were here first! The little lady came after. She was the one who burned up her clothes. To be honest, this means that she took the initiative to let you take a look, it has nothing to do with you at all… Moreover this little lady is so beautiful, if you don’t look, it will literally be a waste to have eyes, a waste of your own life!
This self-righteous voice immediately restored the balance in Yun Che’s heart and he opened his eyes once more. His eyes verily sparkled as he stared unblinkingly at the girl in the heart of the lake… That’s right! It was she who suddenly burned up all her clothes, it’s not like I was peeking at her on purpose!
It has got nothing to do with me at all!
It’d be an absolute waste if I don’t look!
After being previously startled by this young girl’s shocking aura, Yun Che did not dare to take a good look at her. But now that he had realigned his mental state, coupled with the fact that the girl had also withdrawn her aura, he gazed directly at her. And his gaze drank in the magnificence of her natural state. The two people were separated by tens of meters, but this kind of a distance was nothing at all. Given Yun Che’s current visual acuity, it would have been no different if she was standing right in front of him.
As he stared at the girl, Yun Che gradually went into a daze, and he was unwilling to blink even once… He even forgot the scary and sinister feeling that this young girl had given to him before.
The girl’s body was very delicate and it could even be described as rather petite. Narrow snowy shoulders, a slender waist, small buttocks and even her breasts swelled slightly on her chest. Her skin was as snow-white and delicate as a newborn baby’s; it was like jade, pure and smooth without blemish. It was to the extent that it even began to resemble the sparkling, translucent and limpid qualities of white jade. One could even see the faint outlines of blue veins being traced along her skin, and this was especially apparent on her slim and slender snowy thighs, where it was snow-white and tender to the point of being transparent.
If one hugged such an exquisite and delicate body, it would feel as light as air. That fine and narrow waist looked like it could be grasped within the palm of one hand, and on the front of her chest, her two gently swelling snowy mounds were adorned with two flawless light red jade pearls… and this was the most enchanting ornament which crowned itself on her snow-white body, to the point where it took one’s breath away.
At least for Yun Che, he had already found it hard to breathe long ago. A sense of regret and vigilance was birthed in his heart, because he believed that if he looked any longer, there was a possibility that he would let down his guard… But even though he was alerted to this, he was still unwilling to avert his gaze.
Was this little girl… a demoness?!
Profound Sky Continent’s number one beauty was Feng Xue’er.
And the girl in front of him, she could definitely bear the glory of being crowned Illusory Demon Realm’s number one beauty!
As Yun Che was still caught in his stupor, threads of steam began to rise from under the girl’s feet and these threads of steam quickly intertwined, becoming thick columns. In the blink of an eye, the entire surface of the lake became enwreathed in steam. At this moment, following a gurgling sound which rang out, a spray of water churned to the surface of the lake. This spray of water seemed to have sparked a wildfire as the entire surface of the lake lurched and churn as it began to seethe and boil…
No! It was the entire contents of the lake…. It was really boiling!!
Steam ascended to the heavens while the water in the lake violently thrashed about. A sense of heat assaulted Yun Che, and it was only now that he noticed that all the water in the lake had shockingly become a pool of boiling water! The girl still remained fixated in place, not moving an inch as the churning lake water drenched her body. And this jade body that had been covered with dewdrops seemed to sparkle, making it even more tender and lovely than before, causing an intense urge to uncontrollably well up within Yun Che!
However, every single water droplet did not remain on her body for long as they quickly evaporated into vapor. Both of her eyes remained shut, but her delicate and lovely face would sometimes appear to tremble… as if she was in some kind of pain.
“It was as I thought!” Jasmine said, “My guess was right! She has the Golden Crow bloodline but she does not have the 《Golden Crow’s Record of the Burning World》, so as the Golden Crow’s flame energy within her body gradually matures, she will inevitably find it harder and harder to control, which is why she has to use this kind of method to pacify it. Threads and strands of cold energy exist a thousand meters below this lake, which means that this lake was previously a natural cold spring which possessed extremely dense cold energy. This cold spring was used by her to suppress the Golden Crow’s flame energy which was running riot in her body. And it is obvious that she has come here many times, because this cold spring has already become a hot spring because of her!”
Yun Che, “…”
The water in the lake continued to boil as thick steam covered the sky. At this rate, all the water in the lake would evaporate before long. The girl still continued to stand there, not making a sound. Amidst the fleeting mist under the dazzling moonlight with her jade-white delicate body being sprayed with dewdrops, she seemed to be a little fairy wreathed in celestial fog. A fairy who was cleansing her celestial robes in the waters of the Jade Lake, as if she needed to cleanse away all the dust of the vulgar world from her person.
Yun Che’s gaze remained fixated on her and even he did not know how much time had passed, until his throat uncontrollably… made a small movement, and an extremely soft swallowing sound was heard.
This swallowing sound was so soft that even if an ordinary person was extremely close, they would not be able to hear. This was especially so, as the boiling lake water completely engulfed the sound that he had just made. But Yun Che broke out into cold sweat once he made that sound. He instantly recovered his mental faculties and then inwardly said: Oh shit!
It was in this exact instant that he saw the girl in the middle of the lake open her eyes. A cold sinister gaze that seemed to come from a death god shot directly in his direction as a cold killing intent which seemed to be composed of countless icy blades instantly filled the night sky.
Yun Che’s eyes widened into saucers and he did not waste any time thinking. He swiftly opened Purgatory and began to frantically circulate all the profound energy in his body. He activated Extreme Mirage Lightning and using the most extreme speed he could achieve, he desperately fled towards the west.
Boom!!!!!!
The sound of an explosion came and all the water in the lake rushed towards the heavens as they engulfed the girl’s jade body. Once the lake water had fallen back to the earth, the young girl’s figure was already nowhere to be found, only a fast-disappearing afterimage remained… The afterimage of the girl was no longer that of her naked, but an afterimage of her dressed in the exact same grey robes that she had worn before.
When Yun Che borrowed the power of Extreme Mirage Lightning, the speed in which he could achieve was comparable to a late stage Overlord, or even an early stage Monarch. However, it was definitely not able to compare to that of a mid stage Monarch. Even after he had made a mad dash, fleeing away from the place with all his might, in only the span of a few breaths, the air suddenly shimmered with light, and a grey and delicate figure seemed to have teleported right in front of him.
Yun Che eyes flared. He fiercely grit his teeth, and then used all his might to bring his body to a halt. After he managed to come to a stop with much difficulty, he was only less than thirty meters away from the girl… And if he did not use all his effort to stop his movement, he would have definitely barrelled headfirst into the body of the girl.
Those eyes which were as black as night silently glared at him, carving his features into their memory. And under her gaze, Yun Che’s heart suddenly stopped as all the nerves in his body were pulled taut… This may be a girl who was as beautiful as a fairy, but she was also a death god who could take his life at whim! When Yun Che’s urge to kill was provoked by rage, the heaviness of his killing intent was enough to make even enemies who were ten times stronger than him shudder with fear. But this was the first time in his life that he had felt a terrifying killing intent coming from another person that could nearly compare with his own… To possess such a killing intent, this girl must have killed countless people and she must regard life as though it were grass. If she were to kill him, she would do so without batting a single eyelid.
This young master was really only out for a breath of fresh air!
Even though I did take huge advantages of you with my eyes… it’s not enough for me to pay with my life, is it?!
Yun Che forcefully stabilized himself and assumed a completely innocent and harmless posture. He said in a most earnest voice, “Ah, little sister, let me just say this in advance. Before you had arrived, I was already at this place, so I definitely did not peek on you on purpose… Even though I did look, but that was because you stripped yourself for me to see. It has nothing to do with me. Ah, but of course, I am a good man with first-rate morals. So if you definitely want me to take responsibility, I will sincerely consider….”
At this moment and at this time, the only thing Yun Che could think of to save himself from this predicament… was to rely on his good looks.
“You idiot!” Jasmine roared furiously, “What are you doing still standing there for?! Hurry up and run, are you waiting for death?!”
“!~@#%…” As Jasmine’s voice fell, Yun Che’s body already shimmered and he violently fled away like a light wisp of smoke… but where exactly could he run to?! Even if he had cultivated Extreme Mirage Lightning to its highest level, this girl could catch up to him in the span of a few breaths! She was, after all, a mid stage Monarch who was not the least bit inferior to Yun Qinghong!
But this time, the girl did not pursue him. She simply floated there and stared straight at Yun Che’s fleeing figure. She slowly extended a delicate palm which was like snow jade and said,
“Un… for… giv… able!”
This word pierced the heart and an extremely chilling cold sensation spread over Yun Che’s entire body. He swiftly looked back, and discovered that sky around him had turned into a sea of red…
Boom!!!!!!
It was like a volcano had suddenly erupted into life, the entire earth seemed to overturn instantly. The ground fractured and a blood red flame shot out in a straight line, covering a distance of more than three kilometers, coloring the entire night sky red.
Under the roiling thick smoke and the sand which seemed to cover the sky, a huge crater that was tens of meters deep had appeared in the location where Yun Che was at. In a three kilometer radius around that crater, everything had been ground into dust; not even a blade of grass or a small pebble remained.
Countless fires raged around this enormous crater, refusing to die down. Even the skies above were stained with the light of the raging flames, as though the whole sky had begun to burn.
The girl remained at her original spot. It seemed as though she was the only thing that remained in this world. Everything else around her seemed to have disappeared and even Yun Che’s figure had seemingly vanished into thin air.
This terrifying attack was a manifestation of the young girl’s violent urge to kill and absolute fury. Such a horrifying power was enough to instantly burn an Overlord into ashes, much less someone who only emitted the aura of the Sky Profound Realm. But this girl was clearly someone who was meticulous and prudent to the extreme. Even though she could see the devastation she wrought, she did not immediately leave the place. Instead she surveyed her surroundings, probing to see if there was any presence she could detect.
At this moment, a few faint presences could be felt coming from the direction of Demon Imperial City and they seemed to be approaching swiftly. Clearly, the heaven-shaking commotion from before had alerted several strong individuals in Demon Imperial City. The girl was not able to continue searching for any traces or signs of life. Her eyes sank and she spun around. The red light around her body flashed and she seemed to turn into a wisp of smoke, disappearing into the night.
After many breaths had passed in silence, a mound of dirt broke in the middle of the huge crater and Yun Che jumped out, landing on his butt as he pathetically spat out dirt. After that, he began taking huge breaths, desperately inhaling air.
Looking at the deep crater that surrounded him which nearly stretched to where the eye could not see, Yun Che could not help but shudder.
This little lady, she really went too far! This kind of power is enough to extinguish an Overlord like he was a plaything. I am only at the Sky Profound Realm, for heaven’s sake!
Chapter 535 - Yun Family’s Will
That strange little girl’s profound strength was way too scary. She could definitely instant kill an Overlord effortlessly. But with her power from before, even if it wasn’t fire, she couldn’t instantly kill Yun Che. The hell-like eighteen months that he spent on the Primordial Profound Ark refining himself in the spatial storms wasn’t for nothing. Even Jasmine said that with Yun Che’s body now, in terms of strength, he wasn’t weaker than a low-level Monarch, and even his recovery rate far surpassed that of a Monarch.
But “couldn’t instantly kill”, didn’t mean could not kill. With the large difference between their powers, if she wanted to kill Yun Che, it would be as easy as pie.
The energy was fire profound strength, so naturally, it was impossible for it to threaten Yun Che’s life. When the sea of flame fell onto him, he hid himself within the fire, concealed his scent with Hidden Flowing Lightning before the fire went down, went underground… and made it out by a thread.
If it weren’t for Hidden Flowing Lightning, even if he had a hundred lives, he would still be dead.
“There’s someone coming from the south, more than ten people. If you don’t want any trouble, leave here immediately,” Jasmine warned.
Yun Che stood up, dusted himself off, and felt a little afraid… three more days and it would be the Demon Empress’ Grand Ceremony. Originally, he wanted to warm up his body, and get used to Extreme Mirage Lightning, but he almost lost his life because of it. He still had something important that he wanted to do at the Demon Empress’ Grand Ceremony. If he died just like that, he would die without justice.
Yun Che concealed himself, avoided the people who came to check the situation, and went back to Demon Imperial City. On his way back, he was cautious, so his speed was slow. When he finally returned to the Yun Family, the sky was already starting to brighten. At this time, a few people among the Yun Family were already busy working… it was almost the Demon Empress’ Grand Ceremony. The Yun Family treated the Demon Empress’ Grand Ceremony very seriously, because it most likely would determine the future of the Yun Family, so they had to prepare thoroughly.
Yun Che went back to the Yun Family, and immediately passed out. He didn’t mention any of his ‘exciting adventure’ to anyone. After all, he went out in the middle of the night and saw a little girl completely naked… it was not something he wanted to describe to someone else.
————————————————————
Three days passed by in the blink of an eye.
There was nothing different about today’s Demon Imperial City, it was just more crowded. But, even normal people who didn’t have profound strength could feel a different scent in the atmosphere.
Today, the Little Demon Empress had been on the throne for a full hundred years. In the past, every Demon Emperor was on the throne for a thousand years with no exceptions. On the throne for a hundred years meant that it was merely a tenth of the time. However, what was different about this time was, even though she was the Illusory Demon Emperor, her title was not Demon Emperor, but “Little Demon Empress.” Decades ago, before the Little Demon Empress’ hundred-year reign, there had already been an unusual atmosphere in the Illusory Demon Royal Family.
Everyone guessed that today might perhaps be the day the secret movements within the dark would explode… The Hundred Year Grand Ceremony was the perfect timing.
Today in Demon Imperial City, there was a great possibility that something serious would happen.
Yun Che woke up very early, pushed open the door, and saw Yun Qinghong already standing in the courtyard, silently facing those withered grape arbors. Hearing the door being pushed open, he didn’t turn around, and said in a calm voice, “Che’er, you’re awake.”
Yun Qinghong was covered in heavy morning dew, obviously having stood there for a long time. From the shadow of his back, Yun Che saw his burden and seriousness… These days, he had been preparing for the Demon Empress’ Grand Ceremony day and night. The shadow of his back told Yun Che that he was not confident with what was going to happen today… He was even a little pessimistic about it.
Yun Che’s footsteps paused, and after a short hesitation, he said, “Father, I have a question that I always wanted to ask.”
Yun Qinghong turned around and looked at him, “Did you want to ask, why I, your father, would be willing to be this loyal to the Demon Emperor’s Clan?”
“Yes, and no,” Yun Che replied. “The Yun Family is one of the Twelve Guardian Families, loyal to the Demon Emperor’s Clan. It is a mission that has been passed down from our ancestors. Grandfather and the previous Demon Emperor were like brothers. The Little Demon Emperor and Father also called each other brothers. From this, we could see that the Demon Emperor’s Clan had always valued us, the Yun Family. But… after the Little Demon Empress inherited the throne, she placed guilt on our Yun Family several times. On top of losing Grandfather and losing the ten great cornerstones of the Yun Family, it made it even worse. The younger generation also fell behind the other guardian families because of it. Even more so, today’s Yun Family is mocked as unqualified to stay in the Twelve Guardian Families.”
“The Little Demon Empress has been on the throne for a hundred years, and we, the Yun Family, had been guilty for a hundred years, and could not lift our heads and rise. This is the main reason why the Yun Family has been falling so speedily. And in the days that Father controlled the Yun Family, most of the preparations were for the Little Demon Empress, and the preparations for the family were secondary! The Little Demon Empress treated the Yun Family like this, but Father not only held his tongue without any thoughts of betrayal, and you still put in all of your efforts. I… don’t really understand.”
“Blaming the Yun Family wasn’t what the Little Demon Empress wanted,” Yun Qinghong sighed and said. “She blamed the Yun Family out of helplessness. And in this situation, a large part of this was caused by our own Yun Family.”
“Because Grandfather lost the Illusory Demon Royal Family’s Demon Emperor’s Seal?” Yun Che asked.
“That was only the cause,” Yun Qinghong answered. “The Illusory Demon Royal Family ruled all the souls in Illusory Demon Realm, and have the twelve families’ loyal protection. As of today, it has been ten thousand years. In this past ten thousand years, because the Yun Family was backed by the Profound Handle, our overall power had always been above the other guardian families, and had never been surpassed. And because of this, our Yun Family had been valued the most by the Illusory Demon Emperor. During your Grandfather’s generation, he had been given the title of the Demon King, and the Demon Emperor even announced that your Grandfather would have equal footing to him. In reality, that position is even higher than that of dukes! He was below one person, but above all the others.”
“Che’er, if you were from the other guardian families, yet there was someone always above you, how would you feel? There would be envy… Originally, the positions were on the same level, but a member of the Yun Family received the title of ‘Demon King’, glory and honor that the other guardian families all longed for. It also made the position of our whole family immediately surpass that of the other families… How would you feel then? It would be easy to feel envious and imbalanced, and there would be a lot of hatred.”
“…Could it be that, a hundred years ago, the other guardian families joined together and pressured the Little Demon Empress?”
“That’s right,” Yun Qinghong replied, closing his eyes. “Your Grandfather was the Yun Family’s core, and the ten Grand Elders were the Yun Family’s cornerstone. Losing any one of them was a huge blow to the Yun Family. But over the course of one night, we lost your Grandfather and all ten Grand Elders. The highest and most important level of the Yun Family’s skill immediately fell behind. In addition, the Demon Emperor’s Seal was also lost in the Profound Sky Continent. Those guardian families who were envious of the Yun Family all those years finally got their chance, and made people in the Demon Imperial City broadcast the Yun Family’s ‘unforgivable crime’ to the whole Illusory Demon Realm. The whole Illusory Demon Realm was filled with denunciation against the Yun Family, until it was so bad that there had to be some heavy punishment to calm everyone down.
“And that was led by the Helian Family, with over half of the guardian families involved. The families that I am sure that didn’t participate, were your mother’s Mu Family, and the Under Heaven Clan that doesn’t like to make trouble. Led by Duke Huai, various royal clans also criticized our Yun Family, saying that the Yun Family was unforgivable, and if it weren’t for the hard work and protection of ten thousand years, killing the whole clan wouldn’t be too much… It must have been at that time that Duke Huai’s bloodline became disloyal. After all, the Demon Emperor’s bloodline was bound to go extinct, and he hoped to replace it.”
“Back then, the Little Demon Empress had just taken over the throne, so it wasn’t stable, and she was a woman. After her, there would not be any more pure Demon Emperor’s bloodline, and on top of that, due to the loss of the Demon Emperor’s Seal she cannot cultivate in the 《Golden Crow’s Record of the Burning World》 and receive the power only Demon Emperors possess… Under the heavy pressure as though she was walking on thin ice, she couldn’t help but blame the Yun Family. However, she never killed anyone from the Yun Family. She only cut the resources of the Yun Family for a hundred years, and forbade us from entering Golden Crow Lightning Flame Valley, making this generation of the Yun Family poor in resources, and seriously weak… However, this kind of weakness was a shield for our Yun Family. When we were so weak that we couldn’t even be a threat, our enemies left us in peace.”
“I… see…” Yun Che nodded his head slowly.
“Che’er, you have to remember,” Yun Qinghong said seriously. “The First Demon Emperor was a savior to our Yun Family’s ancestor. If it weren’t for the First Demon Emperor’s actions, our clan would have gone extinct ten thousand years ago. We swore that as long as the Demon Emperor’s Clan existed, the Yun Family would protect them. These past ten thousand years, the Yun Family never had the thought of betrayal! And from this day forward, we will continue to keep our word!”
“But, what we’re protecting is the Demon Emperor’s Clan! The inheritor of the Demon Emperor’s bloodline! And not those impure dukes who only have some of the Demon Emperor’s bloodline! Even though the Little Demon Empress is a woman, she has a complete Demon Emperor’s bloodline. Since she is on the throne, she is the real Demon Emperor! As long as she is still on the throne, our Yun Family will do everything we can to protect her loyally.”
“But…” Yun Qinghong’s voice deepened, and his eyes turned cold, “If she was really forced off the throne, and some other impure duke became the Demon Emperor, then the Yun Family’s mission to protect ends there. At that time, leaving the Twelve Guardian Families would actually be something we want! We don’t need a title given by the Royal Familes!”
Yun Qinghong was serious. From his eyes, Yun Che saw determination. Yun Che nodded deeply, “Father, I understand. Even though I didn’t grow up in the family, the blood of the Yun Clan flows in my veins, and even more so, it is the Patriarch bloodline’s blood. I will not disobey Yun Family’s will!”
“Mn.” Yun Qinghong nodded and smiled, even his locked eyebrows relaxed.
Yun Che looked at his expression, hesitated a little, but asked anyways, “That Duke Huai, is he really that powerful? From Father’s expression, it looks like you’re worrying a lot.”
Yun Qinghong sighed softly, “A month ago, you should have already noticed their presumptuous and insidious behavior. That day, Helian Peng said personally that half of the guardian families have already fallen on Duke Huai’s side. Among the Royal Clans, more than sixty percent united with Duke Huai as the leader. They gathered a large amount of experts from the royal families, and recruited strong practitioners from remote areas in the Illusory Demon Realm. Controlling these powers, Duke Huai was naturally able to do whatever he wanted. But the Little Demon Empress is not an indecisive person. She never took any actions towards Duke Huai’s well-known ambitions. It was not that she didn’t want to or didn’t dare to, but because she couldn’t do it. If she really did take action, it would have had difficulty succeeding. In turn, it would give Duke Huai a suitable excuse to pressure her and attack her. On the other hand, even though Duke Huai has enough power, he hasn’t taken action yet, and the main reason is also because he didn’t have an excuse to do so.”
Yun Che, “…”
“Patriarch, all of us are prepared. We are just awaiting Patriarch’s order.”
Outside of the large door, a respectful, serious voice sounded. This voice, belonged to Great Elder Yun Waitian.
Yun Qinghong slanted his eyes, and said, “Okay! Everyone gather in the main hall, we will leave for the Demon Imperial Hall in fifteen minutes!”
“Yes! Patriarch!”
“Che’er, go wake Xiao’er. We should set off.” Yun Qinghong looked up into the sky, as if he wanted to predict heaven’s will for today.
Chapter 536 - Duke Huai
This time, a hundred people from the Yun Family came to the Demon Empress’ Grand Ceremony. Amongst them, about half were young disciples. Out of the thirty-six core elders, twenty-nine of them came along, and the three grand elders were also amongst them.
“None of the three Grand Elders stayed behind. All of them came along. Looks like Father is really going all out this time,” Xiao Yun approached Yun Che and said quietly.
Yun Che nodded, “The other guardian families would probably bring their best along with them as well. Speaking of which, is each family only allowed to bring a hundred people?”
“Mn! At this Demon Empress’ Grand Ceremony, the top forces and leaders from each the major regions in Illusory Demon Realm were invited. But usually they could only bring a maximum of three people. Even those with top skills cannot have more than ten people. Only us, the Twelve Guardian Families, and each major Duke Palace can bring that many people,” Xiao Yun explained. The Demon Empress’ Grand Ceremony had been at the center of worldwide attention for a while, so naturally he had some level of understanding about it.
After all, the Twelve Guardian Families were the most powerful forces within Illusory Demon Realm. Their position was equal to that of the Profound Sky Continent’s Four Great Sacred Grounds, and their existence was meant to protect the Demon Emperor’s clan, so the special treatment came naturally.
“How many people would be at the Grand Ceremony?” Yun Che asked again.
“Uh, I don’t know,” Xiao Yun said as he scratched his forehead. “This is also the first time I attended the Demon Empress’ Grand Ceremony.”
“There would be about one hundred thousand people,” Yun Qinghong, who was walking ahead of the, answered. “Out of these hundred thousand people, none of them are ordinary. This included mayors from major cities, aristocrats, sect masters, profound palace chiefs, and the kings of different races… as well as the young generations that they brought with them, they’ll most likely be a young master or their number one genius. Demon Imperial City is the head of the Illusory Demon Realm, but even though their skills may not be on the same level as the twelve families, they cannot be underestimated.”
“One hundred thousand people…” The scale was close to what Yun Che had expected. This was the first large event that happened after the reign of the Little Demon Empress, and it gathered almost all of the top beings in the whole Illusory Demon Realm. Yun Che thought for a while, and asked, “How many Duke Palaces are in the Illusory Demon Royal Family? How are their strengths?”
“There are a hundred and three Duke Palaces, and the most powerful one is Duke Huai Palace.” Yun Qinghong squinted his eyes and said, “All of these royal families more or less have some of the Demon Emperor’s bloodline. With such natural talent, their cultivating speeds are a lot faster than those of normal beings. In addition, having the most abundant resources and the opportunity to enter Golden Crow Lightning Flame Valley improved them greatly. Because of this, no one in the royal family is mediocre. They are all strong practitioners. Especially the ‘Illusory Demon Seven Scions’ of each generation, their names are well-known all over the world.”
“Each Duke Palace has a shocking amount of strong practitioners, but the scale is still far behind the Twelve Guardian Families. However, over the years, Duke Huai tried to win over all of the other dukes secretly. All of the powers from each major Duke Palace have gathered towards Duke Huai Palace, and on top of that, they used high prices to buy strong practitioners from each clan. Currently, the strength of Duke Huai Palace is unfathomable. Even the guardian families are leaning towards Duke Huai Palace, especially the Helian Clan, they’re clearly on Duke Huai Palace’s side… If Duke Huai really rose in revolt today, the situation would be unfavorable for the Little Demon Empress’ side. But, even though the Little Demon Empress is a woman, she will not go down that easily. What will happen at today’s Demon Empress’ Grand Ceremony… is unpredictable!”
Demon Imperial Palace laid precisely at Demon Imperial City’s center. Before even entering the range of the Demon Imperial Palace, an enormous hall so tall that it was covered by the clouds emerged before their eyes. This hall was so huge that it was almost the size of the entire Yun Family. This Demon Imperial Hall was exactly where the Demon Empress’ Grand Ceremony was to be held. Above the hall, a large crow with its head up high, standing on three legs with golden feathers covering the sky was there, receiving the whole Demon Imperial City’s veneration and worship.
Seeing Yun Che staring straight at the golden crow overhead, Xiao Yun explained, “That is the Golden Crow Divine Beast’s golden sculpture. The Illusory Demon Royal Family’s Demon Emperor’s bloodline is in reference to the Golden Crow’s bloodline. The Golden Crow symbolizes the highest beliefs in Illusory Demon Realm.”
It was still early. The Yun Family’s party wasn’t moving fast, when they were about to enter the main entrance of the Demon Imperial Palace, a group of merely ten or so people was coming over from the other direction. When they reached their destination, all of the guards in front of the palace welcomed and knelt before them.
The leader of that party was dressed luxuriously. His expression revealed an imposingness which came from someone who was naturally born above others. From his eyes, there was arrogance, as if nothing on this world was good enough for him to look at. Seeing the Yun Family’s group, his eyes squinted, and his mouth slightly grinned, as he said with a joyous expression, “Oh? Big Brother Yun! Is it really you?”
Yun Qinghong’s footsteps stuttered. He turned around to look at him, and said softly, “Duke Huai, it’s been a long time.”
Duke Huai?
These two words quickly made Yun Che look to the direction of the person speaking.
Everyone in Demon Imperial City knew about Duke Huai Palace’s ambitions. His schemes were endless, so much so that he was reckless and fearless, and seemed to not be afraid of the Little Demon Empress knowing. Yun Che thought that the Duke Huai would be someone without any manners, but the person who Yun Qinghong called Duke Huai was someone with a smile on his face, who looked harmless and gentle. It was hard to imagine him as someone with ambition that wanted to take over the Demon Emperor’s throne… except for his eyes, which were deep like the dark night, and proud like a lone eagle.
“Hahahaha!” Duke Huai laughed loudly as he walked over, “Big Brother Yun, it really has been a long time. Two months ago I suddenly heard that you and sister-in-law’s body magically healed, this duke was overjoyed. Unfortunately I had to prepare for today’s Grand Ceremony, so didn’t had spare time to come and visit. I feel ashamed to appear before Big Brother Yun, I hope Big Brother Yun wouldn’t be offended.”
Two months ago, not only had Yun Qinghong insulted his son, Duke Hui Ye, he also personally beat up the Venerable Stone Dragon into serious injury… The Venerable Stone Dragon probably didn’t come along today because he hadn’t healed yet, and with that injury, it would most likely take more than half a year to recover completely. At the same time, Duke Huai Palace sending the Helian Family to assassinate Xiao Yun and Number Seven Under Heaven had been exposed. But when this Duke Huai saw Yun Qinghong, he didn’t bring it up at all, as if it had never happened. He even called Yun Qinghong “Big Brother,” so intimately, as if they were brothers through life and death who hadn’t seen each other for many years.
What a smiley poisonous snake… Yun Che laughed coldly to himself.
“Since Duke Huai had that thought, how could this Yun offended,” Yun Qinghong said without emotion.
“Ai!” Duke Huai swung his hand, said with dissatisfaction, “Big Brother Yun, don’t call me ‘Duke Huai’ like a stranger, call me Brother Huai like the old days. I miss the old days when we brothers drank together. How about… after the Demon Empress’ Grand Ceremony, Big Brother Yun come to my shabby duke palace as a guest, and we, as brothers, could drink together, how about that?”
“Duke Huai, I accept your good intentions, but I’ll pass on the drinking.” Yun Qinghong laughed lightly. “The people are the same from back then, but the purpose is not the same as back then. As for the taste of the alcohol, it’s naturally different as well. It has become hard to swallow, so it’s better to not drink it.”
But Duke Huai wasn’t mad at all towards Yun Qinghong’s mockery, “Is Big Brother Yun mad at this duke? Sigh, no wonder. This little brat from this duke’s family doesn’t let people stop worrying… Ye’er, come over here!
Duke Hui Ye came out from the rear, and stood beside Duke Huai. A cold gaze brushed upon Yun Che’s face. Duke Huai said, “I heard that this duke’s good-for-nothing son disrespected Big Brother that day. Sigh, you’ve really humiliated our Duke Huai Palace. Ye’er, hurry up and apologize to your Uncle Yun!”
Duke Huiye gritted his teeth, lowered his head, and said, “Uncle Yun, Hui Ye’s was immature that day, please forgive me.”
Yun Qinghong calmly accepted it, and said softly, “Since you know your own fault, I will not hold a grudge against a junior. Duke Huai, I scolded your son, and embarrassed him in front of everyone that day. I hope Duke Huai wouldn’t mind?”
“Don’t mention it Big Brother Yun!” Duke Huai waved his arm in a forthright manner, “My good-for-nothing son was out there with his reckless behavior, disrespected elders, and caused so much trouble. Big Brother Yun, as his senior, teaching him a lesson is a matter of course. This duke can’t thank you enough, why would I mind? Next time, if this brat disrespects you again, don’t waste your tongue, just beat him up and throw him out.”
Yun Che smiled enigmatically.
“Big Brother, look at the person behind Duke Hui Ye,” Xiao Yun came over, said while lowering his voice.
Yun Che gave a sidelong glance behind Duke Hui Ye; standing there was a tall, muscular, young man. Hui Ye could be considered fair-skinned, handsome, and elegant, while this young man was fierce-looking with sharp aquiline eyes and large muscles on his body. Just looking at him, would make one feel the frightening power hidden within the muscles.
The young man appeared to have felt Yun Che and Xiao Yun’s gaze, as he suddenly stared straight at them. However, his eyes left Yun Che and Xiao Yun after one glance, then he scoffed loudly. His gaze was filled with extreme disdain… as though Yun Che and Xiao Yun didn’t even qualify for him to take another look.
“This man, is Duke Huai’s oldest son, Hui Ran! Head of this generation’s Illusory Demon Seven Scions! Whether it was the Twelve Guardian Families, or the Illusory Demon Royal Families, none under the age of thirty-five was his match! And he had a brutal nature. Those who fought him either were either seriously injured, or died a horrible death,” Xiao Yun said in a low voice. From his voice, Yun Che could hear his deep fear.
Yun Che nodded slightly, and stopped looking at him. Yet at this moment, he realized that Duke Huai’s gaze had suddenly landed on his person.
“Could this be the godson Big Brother Yun had adopted? If this duke remembered correctly, his name should be… Yun Che?” Duke Huai said while smiling. His gaze scanned Yun Che from head to toe, then, he slowly nodded his head, “As expected, his bearing is extraordinary. It is no wonder such a character like Big Brother Yun would adopt him as godson. How could he be someone common? At least from the looks of him, he’s probably even stronger than the biological son.”
Xiao Yun stepped forward, kept a straight face and said, “Big Brother is indeed stronger than me. With a big brother like this as an example, I am confident that I will improve myself even faster. At the very least, I would not embarrass my parents.”
Yun Qinghong nodded his head slightly, his expression was full of approval.
“Good, hahahaha!” Duke Huai laughed loudly, and cupped his hands towards Yun Qinghong, “I forgot to congratulate Big Brother Yun for receiving a godson. However, Big Brother Yun’s adopted son is quite mysterious. This duke had wanted to get to know him a little more these past days, but even with this duke’s eyes and ears, this duke still couldn’t get any information. It really triggers this duke’s curiosity.”
Duke Huai exposed the fact that he looked into Yun Che with a straight face, and didn’t even try to hide it. After saying that, he put his arms down and said, “The Grand Ceremony is about to start, this duke will leave first. When there comes a time that this duke sends an invitation, I hope that Big Brother Yun will not reject me.”
“Let’s go.”
Duke Huai revealed a meaningful smile towards Yun Qinghong, then, he strode to the entrance of the Demon Imperial Palace. When he had one foot in the palace gate, he suddenly stopped, looked toward his front, and sighed with his back towards Yun Qinghong, “Aside from you, Yun Qinghong, within the Twelve Guardian Families, there are no others that this duke has yet been willing to call ‘Big Brother’. If there’s one person who this duke doesn’t want to be an enemy against the most, it would also be you, Yun Qinghong. Today, this duke still calls you Big Brother Yun, and from this day forward, is Big Brother Yun willing to be on an equal footing with this duke and call each other brothers, or… Heh heh, the results will naturally be decided by Big Brother.”
Duke Huai’s remarks stunned the Yun Family and the members of Duke Huai Palace. The legs of the guards who were guarding in front of the palace were trembling, as they kept their heads down, pretending to have heard nothing.
Duke Huai laughed softly and stepped into the palace, with Hui Ran and Hui Ye following closely behind.
“Royal father, why did you did you show so much courtesy towards that Yun Qinghong? And even making the promise of having equal footing afterwards? How is he qualified?” Duke Hui Ye asked in confusion.
“Heh heh,” Duke Huai smiled lightly, and said with deep emotion, “The Yun Qinghong that you know about had always been a useless cripple. But the Yun Qinghong from before you were born, was the real Yun Qinghong. If you were born a few decades earlier, you wouldn’t have asked this question. The previous Demon Emperor gave Yun Canghai the title of ‘Demon King’ back then, and even allowed him to have equal footing as him. The Little Demon Emperor even saw Yun Qinghong as an example since he was young, and called him Big Brother. Even I, your father, was required back then by your grandfather to set Yun Qinghong as a goal!”
“Ah…” Duke Hui Ye was stunned, and couldn’t say a word.
“Hmph!” Hui Ran scoffed in disdain, “Royal father, you are being too serious. Even if he’s that strong, with his age, he could be a mid-stage Monarch at most. So the Yun Family has another mid-stage Monarch, how much of a threat can he be? There was no need for royal father to bribe him with ‘equal footing’!”
Duke Huai paused in a brief silence, and said, “Probably because the image of him is too deep in this duke’s heart. Everything is prepared, and this duke’s heart is extremely assured, but the thought of him having already recovered, there’s an uneasy feeling… This feeling, makes this duke feel extremely unpleasant!”
Chapter 537 - Uncle Your Sister!
After entering Demon Imperial Palace, Yun Che followed Yun Qinghong and sprinted straight for Demon Imperial Hall.
Decorated with glass tiles and golden domes, the atmosphere was extremely grand and majestic… This was the first time Yun Che entered the Demon Imperial Hall, and he was deeply astonished. He did not feel like he entered a massive palace, but instead felt like he had stepped into another world. Even Phoenix City of Divine Phoenix Empire paled in comparison to this.
“The Yun Clan has arrived!”
The seats in Demon Imperial Hall, were nearly filled and those prideful rulers of their respective territories all acted cautiously within Demon Imperial City, not daring to even talk too loudly. They had arrived many days ago, and they had even come here many hours before the start of the ceremony when the sun had not even risen. Only the top powers within Demon Imperial City would come just before the ceremony started.
Following the shout from the guard in front of the hall, the noise within the Demon Imperial Hall quickly quieted as numerous gazes shot towards the main entrance of the hall.
The Yun Family has always been the leading family among the Twelve Guardian Families, and even though they had fallen to last place, they were still an existence admired by the masses.
The arrival of the Yun Clan caused all focus to shift onto them, as all kinds of expressions and gazes appeared on people’s faces. Numerous people revealed an expectant expression, as though they hoped a good show would happen… Because the seats and positions arranged for the Yun Family was vastly different from the past.
A grand ceremony of this magnitude only happened once every hundred years. The Twelve Guardian Families who possessed esteemed status were naturally given golden seats. In the past, Yun Family, being the head of the Twelve Guardian Families while also possessing the greatest strength the same time, were the most highly regarded family by the different every Demon Emperor. Therefore, they were always given the leading seat closest to the Demon Emperor. It had always been his case, no matter if it was the Little Demon Emperor’s Succession Ceremony a hundred years ago, or the Little Demon Empress Succession Ceremony which soon followed.
That seat had belonged to the Yun Family for the past ten thousand of years, and had always been the pride of the Yun Family!
Today however, that seat was not labelled “Yun”, but instead the word “Helian”!
Although the seats of the Yun Family were still at the center of the hall, its seats were now the last of the twelve families and were placed at the very end! Even the word “Yun” was smaller than that of the other families.
For ten thousand years, the seating area of the Yun Family had never been changed before. Now, it was not only changed, it was shifted from first to the last place.
As though declaring and mocking Yun Family’s great downfall to everyone present, as well as the entire Illusory Demon Realm.
Even an idiot could tell with one look that this was intentionally done by someone to mock the Yun Family. It was also obvious who it was that did this… Because the arrangement of the entire ceremony was planned by those the royal families.
When the Yun Family saw their seats, the looks on all their faces changed.
“Simply outrageous!” Great Elder Yun Waitian clenched his fists, as he thought about his son who had been administered with venom by people from Duke Huai Palace and then eventually died under the hands of Duke Hui Ye. The anger within him caused his body to tremble and glare with hatred.
“This is too much! Are they really treating our Yun Family as a nobody!” Second Elder Yun Duanshui said with a face full of anger.
“Let’s enter our seats.” Yun Qinghong replied plainly, then, he kept quiet. His face was as calm as always. He did not show any signs of anger or displeasure, not even a slight frown. With uniform gait, he looked straight at the sign of “Yun” and walked towards the seats.
In an instant, everyone who were hoping to watch a good show were sorely disappointed. Some could not even help but come to admire Yun Qinghong, or even respect him. As calm as the clouds, indifferent, even when humiliated or favored. The “underhanded blow” that the members of the royal family whom possessed ulterior motives had set were not only unable to insult the Yun Family one bit, it instead showed the world the superb demeanor of the Yun Family Patriarch in such a short amount of time.
With such a Patriarch, even if the Yun Family had fallen temporarily, no one would dare to belittle them.
“Three Grand Elders, please.” Arriving at the seats, Yun Qinghong did not sit down immediately, and instead, paid respects as a junior to invite the three Grand Elders, Yun Jiang, Yun He, Yun Xi into their seats first. The three Grand Elders acknowledged him with a slight smile, and entered their seats at the same time. Only after that did Yun Qinghong enter his seat.
The seats for the various major Duke Palaces were similarly golden and the various Duke Palaces surrounded the Duke Huai Palace like stars crowding around the moon. From the moment Yun Qinghong walked in, Duke Huai’s gaze never shifted away from him . Only until Yun Qinghong had sat down did he look down slightly. Even his chest seemed to rise and fall obviously as he said quietly: “Yun Qinghong… is undoubted still Yun Qinghong.”
“Are you worried that this Yun Qinghong will thwart our plans?” Beside him, a luxuriously dressed middle-aged man with a clean white face asked with a grin. However, from how he dressed, he was obviously not a part of Duke Huai Palace.
“After hearing news of Yun Qinghong’s sudden recovery, this duke’s heart became unsettled, and it was inevitable that this duke would be worried.” Duke Huai said: “Doesn’t Duke Zhong agree?”
“Hehe, Duke Huai is being over sensitive.”The person called “Duke Zhong” smiled as though he did not care: “He only returned to being Yun Qinghong from a crippled person and it’s at most only another person that is an obstacle. Yun Qinghong is only a hundred and seventy years old, and even if he were a thousand seven hundred years old and reached late stage Monarch, what can he do? He would at most be an obstacle that is a little troublesome. He wouldn’t even be capable to cause any changes to our plans… With strength that we have gathered for so long, in this world, is there really anyone that exist who can thwart our plans?”
“I hope it really is this duke just being too oversensitive.” Duke Huai said faintly after closing his eyes.
The tolerance Yun Qinghong displayed caused everyone to be impressed. The members of the Yun Family could also clearly feel the changes in everyone’s looks around them, and only then, did the sense of shame they felt get greatly reduced.
Although everyone from the Yun Family entered their seats, their faces were extremely unpleasant, especially the younger disciples whom all revealed faces of anguish, as they lowered their heads, unwilling to interact with any other members of the Guardian Families, especially the members of the Helian Family who were now sitting at the leading center seat, looking at them with gazes of contempt and ridicule. Dropping from the center seat to the seat at the end, such a feeling was hard to bear.
Yun Qinghong swept his gaze toward his back. When he stopped, he said plainly: “What? Is sitting here such an embarrassing thing?”
The disciples of the Yun Family looked up in shock, uncertain how to answer.
“If just a seat could make you guys feel so discouraged and embarrassed, or if your pride needs to be satisfied by the position of the seat, then continue lowering your heads and let everyone present see your good-for-nothing look of grievance and humiliation!”
“A truly strong person, a real man, would not kneel even if his feet were being crippled, nor would he lower his head even if his neck was being snapped apart! If it were our Family Ancestors that shook the world, forget about seats being placed towards the end, even if they were being pressured into the mud, they would stick their chest out proudly and act with pride! Because this is strength and pride that was etched in one’s bones! No matter what kind of seats we’re sitting on, it is not embarrassing… How you are all acting right now, is the true embarrassment!”
Yun Qinghong’s words were like a timely wakeup call that violently rang within the heart and soul of every Yun Family disciples. In an instant, they felt as though a fire had started to burn within their chest, and all the blood in their body, along with the pride and strength hidden deep within it, had been ignited. Every one of them raised their heads and looked up, the weak gaze they had previously was replaced by a determination as they looked at everyone else proudly.
“Patriarch, we are not good-for-nothings! As disciples of the Yun Family, we will not lose to anyone!” A young Yun Family disciple said out loud and the other disciples quicked echoed, as a sense of excitement and pride that was suddenly ignited filled the entire Yun Family seats, completely swallowing the previous lifelessness in an instant.
“Good!” Yun Qinghong nodded slowly: “Now these are my Yun Family men! If you yourselves feel that you aren’t equal to others, then our Yun Family will never prosper again! If you think that you are strong, our Yun Family… will be strong!”
“Yes, Patriarch!!!” The entire Yun Family echoed in unison. Each of the short two words was deafening, nearly shattering the roof of the hall, as it directly broke into the skies.
Seeing Yun Qinghong’s back, Great Elder Yun Waitian was stunned a while, before he muttered to himself: “All the experience I’ve obtained all these years, I thought that if I had became the Patriarch, I would not pale in comparison to the current Patriarch… It is only now that I know my thinking was simply a joke.”
Second Elder Yun Duanshui smiled slightly, speaking with deep lament: “Every generation of our Patriarch inherits not only their bloodline, but also the spirit that allows us to prosper generation after generation!”
“The Mu Clan has arrived!”
Following a shout that came from outside the hall, the Mu Family of the Twelve Guardian Families also entered the hall. Leading them was a authoritative looking elder. Even though he was old, his face did not have one bit of wrinkle, and his hair and beard were all black. Only from his slightly bent eyebrows, long beard, and plain clothes did he actually look like he was an “elder”.
On his right, was the young master of the Mu Family, Mu Yubai!
The identity of this elder was obvious.
“It’s Grandpa!” Xiao Yun exclaimed in excitement. He was very familiar with this elder, but this was the first time Yun Che had ever seen this person… His biological grandfather! Mu Family’s current Patriarch —— Mu Feiyan.
The Mu Family seat was just on the right of the Yun Family, just adjacent to one another. Mu Feiyan gaze swept in front of him as he walked with big strides, and when he arrived at the Yun Family seats, he brows quivered ferociously. Unconcerned with the presence of everyone that gathered, he scolded in rage: “Bastard things! They actually put your Yun Family at the end!”
Yun Qinghong stood up and replied with a smile: “Calm down Father-in-law, even though our family has been married for generations, we had never been next to each other before during a ceremony. Today, this will no longer be a regret, and can be considered something to rejoice about.”
Hearing this, Old Master Mu who was exhaling heavily and staring widely instantly slapped Yun Qinghong’s shoulder and laughed loudly: “Good Son-in-law, I knew that such a small matter is so insignificant that you will not put it to heart. Oh? Is this kid that godson of yours?”
Mu Yurou pulled Yun Che and Xiao Yun out together, then said with a smile: “Che’er, this is my father. You can call him Grandfather, just like Xiao’er.”
“Grandfather.” Yun Che respectfully called out without hesitation, because the elder standing in front him now was his grandfather, and he had a quarter of his blood.
“Mn, good kid. I can tell that you’re different with just a glance. Especially your eyes, they look like Qinghong’s when he was young.” Mu Feiyan examined Yun Che for a while and praised: “Yubai usually does not praise anyone, but he speaks about you nearly everyday during these past few days. I’ve heard so much that calluses are about to grow out of my ears.”
In his admiring glance were signs of deep gratitude. He knew that Yun Qinghong and Mu Yurou’s full recovery was all thanks to Yun Che. With his vast experience, he obviously knew that such matters could not be revealed in public, or else troubles would be invited.
“I thank Grandfather for the praise.” Yun Che replied with a full smile.
“These three are all my elder brothers. In the future, you can call them uncle like Xiao’er.” Mu Yurou pointed at the three brothers who looked alike, and were standing behind Mu Feiyan: “That’s your Third Uncle Mu Yuqing and that’s your Second Uncle Mu Yukong.”
“Yun Che greets Second and Third Uncle.” Yun Che greeted with respect.
Only Yun Qinghong, Mu Yurou, Xiao Yun and Yun Che knew of Yun Che’s true identity because he said that he did not want to reveal it yet, and Yun Qinghong and Mu Yurou agreed to his request. However, Mu Yurou obviously could not control her urge to let her precious son reunite with his uncles.
Mu Yuqing looked exceptionally young. He received Yun Che’s greeting with a smile, not forgetting to praise him: “No wonder even Brother-in-law is willing to accept you as his godson. Let’s not talk about anything else, but just his looks alone are already not below me in my prime.”
Mu Yukong slapped his forehead and replied helplessly: “Old Three suddenly gaining a nephew has indeed caused him to get carried away. Mn, Yun Che, your address of “Second Uncle” won’t be for nothing. Next time when you visit our Mu Family, I’ll definitely supplement you with a gift.”
“This is your Great Uncle, Che’er you’ve seen him before already.” Mu Yurou pointed to Mu Yubai and said.
Yun Che went forward and greeted in all seriousness: “Great Uncle…”
“Uncle your sister!” Mu Yubai waved his hand and yelled in dissatisfaction: “Didn’t we agree to be sworn brothers earlier. Are you going back on your word? Or do you think I, Mu Yubai, am not fit to be your sworn brother?!”
Chapter 538 - The Twelve Families
There was no doubt that Mu Yubai was a prideful person. This was the first time in his life that he had wanted to become sworn brothers with someone else, and he was even willing to lower his own seniority to do so with someone who was in his early twenties. If he were to still be rejected, it would mean that he would have lost all the face that he had earned in his life thus far.
Therefore, since he had already said it, he had to get this brother! It had to happen no matter what!
Yun Qinghong, Mu Yurou and Xiao Yun’s faces changed drastically. One month ago, Mu Yubai said he wanted to become sworn brothers with Yun Che, and although they thought that their ages weren’t really suitable, there were no major problems. Now, however, knowing that Mu Yubai was Yun Che’s blood related uncle, if it really were to happen… it would become a huge joke.
Yun Che laughed awkwardly, and said: “Of… Of course it’s not that I’m not unwilling. How about this, if senior still wants to become sworn brothers with me after today’s Grand Ceremony, I would definitely not refuse.”
“Good!!” Just as Yun Che finished speaking, Mu Yubai quickly shouted in reply, as though he was afraid Yun Che would go back on his word. He valiantly continued: “A real man never goes back on his word! I, Mu Yubai, will never go back on anything I say, even in death! We will go through the ceremony tomorrow, whoever goes back on his word would be the son of a turtle! All of you are going to be witnesses!”
“This…” Xiao Yun scratched his head, as he looked away, not daring to look at Mu Yubai.
“Hohoho…” Yun Qinghong laughed in a weird and shady manner.
Mu Yurou grinned until her eyes became two lines: “Big Brother, this is what you said yourself, none of us forced you to.”
The three weird expressions caused Mu Yubai to have a sense of unease. He stared widely and asked in caution: “What’s going on? Are you guys hiding something from me?”
“Enter your seats quickly, the ceremony is going to start in an hour. Today is not the day for you to fool around. Already nearly two hundred years old and you still haven’t given me a grandson, what kind of man are you? Hmph.” Mu Feiyan said with disdain as he walked with big strides towards the Mu Family seats.
The word “grandson” immediately silenced his three sons. They moved behind the old man, not daring to even utter another word. Mu Feiyan had three sons and one daughter, but even though his daughter had married Yun Qinghong, his three sons were still single until now, not providing him any signs of the arrival of a grandson. Whenever Patriarch Mu becomes angry at home, it was because of this matter nine times out of ten. This was also why he had not yet given the Patriarch position to Mu Yubai.
He could only blame his three sons whose fear of marriage was etched deep within their bones. Normally, they were casual and unrestrained, but when they thought about being controlled by a woman when they got married, they would shrink away. The fact that Mu Yubai was persistent about making Yun Che his sworn brother was a sign of just how “carefree” a person he was. As for the responsibility of giving Old Man Mu a grandson, the three brothers always pushed around the responsibilities. Many times, Old Man Mu would get so enraged that he would beat up the three brothers… Even so, not one of them had gotten married.
“The Under Heaven Clan has arrived!”
The Under Heaven Family was led by Patriarch Greatest Ambition Under Heaven and Yun Che could see Unparalleled Under Heaven in the group. Slightly behind him, he could see Number One Under Heaven. There was also Number Three Under Heaven and Number Six Under Heaven whom he had met three months ago, and the others elves who were in line with them were probably Number Two Under Heaven, Number Four Under Heaven and Number Five Under Heaven. At their center was the elf girl who caused Xiao Yun’s bottom to leave the seat with a scraping sound as he said agitatedly: “Seventh Sister… It’s Seventh Sister!”
As a clan of the elven race, not only did the Under Heaven Family possess eye-catching long ears and diaphanous wings, a distinct aura of nature energy could be felt emanating from their bodies. When they arrived, it seemed as though a cool breeze had just blown through the entire hall, causing everyone to feel refreshed.
Seeing where the Yun Family were seated, Greatest Ambition Under Heaven was stunned for a moment. When he went past the Yun Family seats, he nodded towards Yun Qinghong, but did not say anything. Number One Under Heaven also nodded towards Yun Che.
Number Seven Under Heaven secretly stole a glance at Xiao Yun before lowering her head and biting her lips. She had not seen him for three months and in three months, the thing she understood the most was that her chance of meeting Xiao Yun was become slimmer and slimmer…
The Under Heaven Family seats were adjacent to the Mu Family seats.
Xiao Yun’s eyes followed Number Seven Under Heaven, and only when she sat down did he look away. His eyes were not focused, he was lifeless, and his face covered with dejection. Yun Che looked at his expression, and sighed silently. He knew Xiao Yun’s eyes were downcast… He was not Yun Qinghong’s real son, and the fact that he was from the Profound Sky Continent was already a given. This caused the original obstacles between him and Number Seven Under Heaven to increase tremendously.
The backgrounds of the two of them… were of two completely different worlds.
“Given up already?” Yun Che asked with a faint smile.
Xiao Yun shook his head: “I would never be willing to give up on Seventh Sis, but now I… Now I… really don’t know what to do.”
“Then don’t think about this for now. A favorable turn of events often happens when one least expects it to.” Yun Che said with a smile before his tone turned more serious: “Xiao Yun, the Twelve Families are almost all here, give me a brief introduction of them, especially the leaders and the elites of the young generation.”
“Ohhh, alright!” Xiao Yun nodded. The Twelve Families were the strongest existence in Illusory Demon Realm, so their leaders and the rising stars below the age of thirty-five were naturally names that shook the world. Xiao Yun, having been Yun Family’s Young Patriarch for the past twenty years was naturally familiar with these people.
He pointed directly opposite at a seat that was labeled with the word “Xiao” and said: “That is the Xiao Family of the Twelve Families. Their original form is the Howling Heaven Pegasus and their Family profound skill allows them to control tempests. Their Patriarch is Xiao Xifeng and rumor has it that he is in the second level of the Sovereign Profound Realm. For the young generation, the strongest is also their Young Patriarch, the person in blue, standing beside Xiao Xifeng… His name is Xiao Donglai, and even though he is twenty-five this year, which is two years younger than Yun Xinyue, he is at the same profound level as Yun Xinyue, fourth level of the Tyrant Profound Realm.”
Yun Che nodded, remembering every word he said.
Xiao Yun pointed to the seats on the right of the Xiao Family which were labelled “Jiufang”: “That is the Jiufang Family. They are of the demon race and their original form is the Nine-Headed Flood Dragon. Their family profound art is a frighteningly deadly poison technique and they have a very deep relationship with the Helian Family. There would be marriages between the families nearly every generation. The current Patriarch is Jiufang Kui and the person beside him is Young Patriarch Jiufang Yu. He is thirty this year and his profound strength also seem to be in the fourth level of the Tyrant Profound Realm… However, it is rumored that he possesses a rare innate Flood Dragon Poison, the ‘Nine Emperor Venom Body’, that only appears within the Jiufang Family once every four thousand years. If one is poisoned by it, it is said that even a low level Monarch would find it hard to dispel.”
“The Lin Clan is a clan of human-demon hybrids. Their Patriarch is Lin Guiyan and the strongest of the young generation is the person sitting directly being Lin Guiyan… Lin Hanchuan, twenty-nine years old, fifth level of the Tyrant Profound Realm.”
“Nangong Family, human race. They are called the strongest sword users of the Illusory Demon Realm and use dual blades as their main weapon. Their Patriarch is Nangong Zhi and strongest of the young generation is the youngest son of the Eighth Elder —— Nangong Yan.”
“The Chiyang Clan has arrived!”
A loud shout interrupted Xiao Yun’s narration. Yun Che turned to look at the main door where a scarlet family was entering while bringing along a heatwave.
Members of this family were fully dressed in red, and even their hair and eyebrows were scarlet. As they entered, the temperature rose drastically. Some of the weaker profound practitioners who hailed from more distant regions, who were on the weak side were caught off guard as their skins burned with a burst of acute pain. Only when they hurriedly channeled their profound energy did they barely withstand it.
“That is the Chiyang Family, their original form is the Scorching Sunfire Dragon! They are a race of true dragons and are very strong. Their combined strength only loses out to the Helian Family and the Su Family. They possess the Scorching Sun Dragon Body and the speed at which they practice profound cultivation and learn profound skills is much faster than normal humans and demons. Their current Patriarch is Chiyang Bailie and the strongest of the young generation… Err, it’s that girl.”
In the direction Xiao Yun pointed, Yun Che could see a young woman standing beside Chiyang Bailie. She looked pretty, was tall, had scarlet hair, and a tinge of scarlet came from her wheat colored skin.
The most eye-catching thing about her were the scarlet colored tight leather clothes that she wore. The scarlet leather shirt was short and wrapped around her voluptuous breasts, yet it revealed her flat stomach and navel. Her shorts were an even shorter pair of red tight leather waist pants that only barely held her butt and completely revealed her slender long legs. Hanging on the pants was a coiled scarlet whip, and unorganized lines of fire flickered about continuously upon it… It only took one look to evidently see that this was not a normal artifact.
This wild and hot look immediately drew the gaze of countless young men; each one of them eyes shone brightly, salivating. However, it was obvious that she was already used to this kind of attention as she walked with her head held high; the elegance and pride clearly shone on her face.
“This appearance is too bold. If my wife dares to dress like this, I would definitely divorce her.” Yun Che said with a crooked mouth, then immediately added: “If it’s only to show me alone, then it would be different.”
“Cough. She’s called Chiyang Yanwu, it is said that her affinity with fire is almost equal to her ancestors from the ancient era. Her talent is frightening and although she is only twenty-four, she is already at the peak of the fifth level of the Tyrant Profound Realm, about to advance to the sixth level. However…” Xiao Yun lowered his voice and continued: “This Chiyang Yanwu has a reputation in Illusory Demon Realm for being very prideful and it’s said that no man has made her look at him straight in the eye before.”
“Among the Twelve Guardian Families, there is actually a family whose strongest practitioner in the young generation is a woman, this is interesting.” Yun Che rubbed his chin and said.
“Actually, it is not only the Chiyang Family that has a female as their strongest in the young generation.” Xiao Yun pointed to the family who was labelled “Bai” and said: “That is the Bai Family who are also of the demon race. Their original form is the Cloud-winged White Tiger. Their Patriarch is Bai Yi and the strongest of their young generation is the girl on his left —— Bai Jie, thirty years old, fifth level of the Tyrant Profound Realm.”
“Oh.” Yun Che nodded gradually, before his brows twitched: “Er, Bai Jie?”
“Eh? Does Big Brother know her?” Xiao Yun asked in shock.
“No, no. I definitely don’t.” Yun Che shook his head: “It’s probably the first time I’ve heard that name, but why do I find it so familiar… Never mind, tell me about Helian Family.”
Chapter 539 - Drawing a Clear Line
“The Helian Family are of the Nine-headed Demon Snake race. Their current Patriarch is Helian Kuang and that Helian Peng Big Brother saw two months ago is his younger brother. The strongest of the Helian Family’s young generation is that person sitting next to Helian Peng… Helian Ba! He and the Su Family’s Su Zhizhan are the strongest among the all the juniors from the Twelve Guardian Families. However, Helian Ba is thirty-one years old this year, while Su Zhizhan is only twenty-seven, so in terms of innate talent, Su Zhizhan is slightly superior to Helian Ba.”
“Su Family?” Yun Che swept his eyes over the seating arrangements of the Twelve Families. The Twelve Families were split into two, one side east and the other west. The Helian, Chiyang, Bai, Nangong, Lin, Jiufang and Xiao Families were seated on the east side, while their own Yun Family, Mu Family, and Under Heaven Clan were seated on the west side. And the northern-most seats on the west side were labelled with the word ‘Su’, but the seats were still empty as the Su Family had not arrived yet.
“The Su Clan has arrived!”
Just at the moment Yun Che was looking in the direction of the Su Family seats, a loud, clear voice rang out from the front of the main hall. The one hundred members of the Su Family entered as one body and they directly marched over to where their seats were.
The middle-aged man who led the group came to a stop once he passed by the Yun Family. He cupped his hands towards Yun Qinghong, “Brother Yun, I hope you’ve been well?”
Yun Qinghong stood up and faintly smiled, “Everything has been splendid. Big Brother Su’s profound strength seems to have once again risen significantly, congratulations on this great news.”
“Haha, I am still far off compared to the freakish talent that is Brother Yun.” The middle-aged man laughed in a free and easy manner, “Zhizhan, hurry up and greet Uncle Yun.”
“Zhizhan greets Uncle Yun.” The youth who stood beside the middle-aged man made junior’s courtesy. His expression was filled with respect and he was neither servile nor overbearing. He was of uncommon bearing but after Yun Che saw his eyes, he had a feeling that this fellow was also someone who was filled with conceit… but that was to be expected. Because all these absolute geniuses from the best families had grown up amidst the constant admiration and astonishment of others; it would be even more abnormal if they did not possess any arrogance whatsoever.
After they had said their greetings to the Yun Family, Mu Family and the Under Heaven Family, the Su Family took their seats. Xiao Yun resumed his introductions without missing a beat, “The person who greeted Father just now is the current Patriarch of the Su Family, Su Xiangnan. And the young man was the aforementioned Su Zhizhan. The current strength of the Su Family is only inferior to that of the Helian Clan, but Su Zhizhan will definitely not lose to Helian Ba; both of them are at the sixth level of Tyrant Profound Realm, but if they were the same age, Su Zhizhan would definitely be the superior one.”
“The Su Family is the same as our Yun Family, in that both families are all humans, so the relationship between both our families have been in good standing for generations. Patriarch Su is also Father’s longtime friend. In the years that father was crippled, he personally came to visit many times.” Xiao Yun explained in detail.
Yun Che slowly nodded his head. Moreover, from the looks that Yun Qinghong and Su Xiangnan had exchanged just now, he could surmise that the Su Family was definitely not an enemy.
“That ‘Yan’ Family to the right of the Su Family, are they also humans?” Yun Che pointed at the position the Yan Clan was seated.
“Yes.” Xiao Yun nodded his head, “The Yan Family are called the Divine Spear Clan and all the members of that family use the spear as their weapon. They also had a pretty good relationship with our Yun Family all this while. One hundred years ago, the Yan Family was basically considered the weakest of the Twelve Guardian Families, but now it is a title our Yun Family ignonimously bears… The Yan Family’s Patriarch is called Yan Zijing and their Young Patriarch is Yan Chengkong, twenty-six years old, third level of the Tyrant Profound Realm.
“The Under Heaven Clan are of the elven race and their weapon of choice are profound bows and arrows. The Patriarch is Seventh Sister’s father, Greatest Ambition Under Heaven, and the Young Patriarch is Seventh Sister’s eldest brother, Number One Under Heaven. The one who is representing their young generation is Seventh Sister’s sixth brother, he should be twenty-eight this year, fourth level of the Tyrant Profound Realm.”
After Xiao Yun’s introduction, Yun Che now had a good grasp of the basic information regarding the Twelve Families.
“Xiao Yun, what kind of level are Duke Huai Palace’s Hui Ran and Hui Ye at?”
At the mention of these two names, Xiao Yun’s expression clearly became a lot more nervous, “Hui Ye is at the sixth level of the Tyrant Profound Realm and he is the third amongst the Illusory Demon Seven Scions. And that Hui Ran, I heard that he is already at the eighth level of the Tyrant Profound Realm?”
Yun Che’s brows twitched, “A late stage Overlord? The Twelve Families are already considered the pinnacle of power in the Illusory Demon Realm, so why is their young generation so lacking in comparison?”
“The various great Duke Palaces of the Illusory Demon Royal Family have always been small in number, so their combined power will not be as strong as the Twelve Families. But in the end, they are still royalty so they have access to the best resources. Thus, the elites they produce, especially those elites from the young generation, had extra advantages which far outstripped what was available to the Twelve Families. Every generation’s Illusory Demon Seven Scions will be, on a whole, stronger than the twelves prodigies from the Guardian Families, but they won’t be that much stronger… This Hui Ran is a rare monster, his innate talent is so high that it’s bizarre. Moreover, Duke Huai Palace has definitely spared no expense in using an extreme amount of resources on his body to allow him to have an abnormal strength that far surpasses his age!”
“I heard from Mother, that when Father was thirty years old, he was also at the eighth level of the Tyrant Profound Realm, so this Duke Hui Ran is as strong as Father was when he was young.” Xiao Yun said in a rather dissatisfied tone. This was because, at least where the Yun Family was concerned, Duke Huai Palace was an evil adversary.
“Oh, these two cases are very different to me.” Yun Che faintly shook his head, “Father had an innate potential which distinguished itself from the rest, whereas this Hui Ran had access to extra resources that far exceeded what our father ever had in his youth. He may be comparable to Father when they were both this age, but once you look to the future, he definitely will not have the qualifications to be compared with Father at all.”
“Mn, well said, Big Brother!” Xiao Yun said in a voice filled with agreement.
Yun Qinghong glanced at this set of brothers and he gave a dry laugh. After that, he looked forward and kept silent, not uttering a single word.
It was only fifteen minutes away from the official start of the grand ceremony, so at this moment, the Demon Imperial Hall was already filled to the brim. The various dignitaries, hegemons, main powers within the Demon Imperial City, Twelve Families and the great Duke Palaces had all assembled. Yun Che turned his head, and he was just about to ask Yun Qinghong some questions regarding the Little Demon Empress when he suddenly noticed that Yun Qinghong’s expression was far more grave now as compared to when they had first entered. Yun Che furrowed his brows. His eyes swept across the crowd, but they began to slowly relax a bit.
The center of the Demon Imperial Hall was directly north and it was where the Demon Emperor would be seated. The two core seating arrangements which were closest to the Demon Emperor were divided into an east and west wing, and these core seats were where the various great Duke Palaces and Twelve Families were seated. The Su Family, Yan Family, Under Heaven Family, Mu Family and Yun Family were arrayed from north to south on the west wing. Whereas the Helian Family, Chiyang Family, Bai Family, Nangong Family, Lin Family, Jiufang Family and Xiao Family were arrayed from north to south on the east wing.
The west wing, where the Yun Family was seated, had a total of five Guardian Families.
Whereas the east wing had a total of seven Guardian Families!
The specific seating arrangement was:
East Wing (north to south): Helian, Chiyang, Bai, Nangong, Lin, Jiufang, Xiao.
Middle (north): Little Demon Empress.
West Wing (north to south): Su, Yan, Under Heaven, Mu, Yun.
The two wings had were exactly the same but the Twelve Guardian Families had not split themselves up equally, so this ended up with one wing having five while the other had seven and this presented an uncomfortable asymmetry… And this asymmetry, during a grand ceremony where all the heroes of the land had gathered, definitely had to have some meaning.
And the same imbalance occurred with regards to where the Duke Palaces had seated themselves. There were also more royalty seated in the east wing than in the west wing. This even created a gap in the golden seats that were originally reserved for the royal family. Some aristocrats and nobility who were not from the Demon Imperial City were arranged to be seated there instead, causing their expressions to be terrified as this excessive, unexpected good favor left them restless.
“Father, the seating arrangements seem extremely problematic this time?” Yun Che asked in a low voice.
Yun Qinghong slowly nodded his head, “The situation is much worse than I thought it would be… far, far worse! This seating arrangement could be said to be drawing a clear line.”
That’s right, this was indeed drawing a clear line!
For those who were not from Demon Imperial City, they naturally could not tell what was happening. But as for those who lived in the Demon Imperial City, especially the members of the Twelve Guardian Families and the royal family, they could tell with a single glance… that the Guardian Families and royalty sitting in the east wing were either aligned towards Duke Huai, or had even completely defected to his side.
On the west wing, there was no one who was aligned with Duke Huai; they were all still loyal to the bloodline of the Demon Emperor and as such, they were also loyal to the Little Demon Empress!
At first, Yun Che was still rather unclear as to which of the Twelve Guardian Families had thrown in with Duke Huai, but now, it was clear as day! And this was clearly deliberate on Duke Huai’s part; he was showing to all those assembled that the power that he held was already this great… and it was a power that already completely suppressed those who were still loyal to the Little Demon Empress!
Such a seating arrangement, such brazen and unscrupulous behavior… Duke Huai’s intentions and desires were made abundantly clear during this grand ceremony!
The various Patriarchs and Elders of the Su Family, Yan Family, Under Heaven Family, Mu Family and Yun Family exchanged glances and their expressions became incomparably grave. None of them had predicted that the situation would be quite so severe, that the power Duke Huai had been gathering covertly all these years would actually be so terrifying.
“Is it really so unbearable to have a woman as a ruler?” Yun Che said with lamentation in his voice. The image of Cang Yue immediately appeared in his mind and it warmed his heart. He said to himself: Thank goodness I healed that disease of my royal Father-in-law so he can spawn a whole new nest of little princes. Because if there is a situation where he has no choice but to pass his position to Xueruo, then my princess wife will be in for a bad time… she’ll be tired to death.
“To these powerhouses who stand at the peak of the Illusory Demon Realm, women have always only been viewed as an accessory or even a toy for men. Thus, having to swear loyalty to a woman will indeed cause conflict to arise in their heart… But it should definitely not be a reason for them to betray the bloodline of the Demon Emperor! The greatest reason is actually their own greed! Duke Huai Palace had definitely peppered them with a copious amount of treats and enticements… but I just never expected that the two great families of Chiyou and Nangong would actually be aligned with Duke Huai! This is absolutely preposterous!”
Yun Che could hear a deep pain emanating from Yun Qinghong’s voice.
“What moves do you think Duke Huai will actually make during this grand ceremony?” Yun Che asked, “And why would he choose this particular occasion?”
“Because this is where all the heroes of the realm are gathered.” Yun Qinghong said as his brows sank, “All the various district rulers, lords of the big cities in the Illusory Demon Realm, hegemons and the leaders of all the main races… and even the leading figures hailing from the every field of mercantilism, medicine, and craftsmanship were invited as well! Almost every single person among the one hundred thousand who are within this great hall is an individual who has a great deal of influence over a place, profession, or even over the entire Illusory Demon Realm. It could be said that the seventy billion citizens of the Illusory Demon Realm are completely represented by the one hundred thousand people present! When today’s grand ceremony ends, these people will go back to their respective territories and they will disseminate all that has happened here today to every nook and cranny of the Illusory Demon Realm.”
Once Yun Qinghong had finished speaking, Yun Che immediately understood what was going on. “So that is to say that this time, Duke Huai wants the people to know that the Little Demon Empress no longer holds the highest power and prestige in the realm, that the strength he possesses now is more than enough to suppress her? After which, he will force the Little Demon Empress to abdicate in front of everyone here?”
“No, you have only gotten one part of it correct.” Yun Qinghong shook his head as he replied, “He definitely wants to borrow this occasion to fulfill his meticulous and methodical plans, but he definitely won’t use that method. Because that method will produce a result that is contrary to what he desires.”
“It would produce the opposite of his desired result?” Yun Che asked in shock.
Yun Qinghong’s eyes grew distant and he slowly began to recount, “Ten thousand years ago, the Illusory Demon Realm was a sea of chaos. The human and demon races were locked in battle and the fire of war had spread to the four corners of the realm; this left the people in dire straits. But after that, the Demon Emperor Clan inherited the legacy of the Golden Crow and received a great power. Henceforth, they led the Twelve Families and began a campaign that lasted several hundred years before they finally conquered the Illusory Demon Realm. Under the brilliant leadership of the Demon Emperor, both the human and demon races stopped fighting. After that, he gradually began to eliminate the conflict between the races and brought peace to the realm; this has persisted to this day. And the primordial divine beast, the Golden Crow, became something that the people of the Illusory Demon Realm have put their utmost faith in for the last ten thousand years. As such the Demon Emperor became a figure that has been loved and revered by the citizens of the Illusory Demon Realm through the generations.”
“If Duke Huai forces the Little Demon Empress to abdicate so he can take her place, then there would be rejoicing throughout the land only if the Demon Emperor bloodline had always led the people to calamity and caused them to undergo unspeakable hardships. But it just so happens that it is the opposite of that scenario, so if Duke Huai truly did that, all he would invite would be the wrath, rebellion, and rebuke of the people of the Illusory Demon Realm! Even if the power that Duke Huai holds is one thousand times what he has right now, how could he afford to provoke the burning wrath of the seventy billion citizens of the Illusory Demon Realm? This is the main reason Duke Huai is has never dared to make any hasty moves.”
“Ah, so this’s how it is.” Yun Che said as he lapsed into a momentary daze, “So what action will Duke Huai actually take?”
“He will definitely create a reason that is sufficiently adequate, a reason that will cause all the people to be convinced during this grand ceremony.” Yun Qinghong said with a grave expression, “The Little Demon Empress has always been very clear about Duke Huai’s disloyalty but she has never taken any actions against him because she does not want to give him something that he can use, like saying ‘her nature is brutal and vicious and that she harmed other members of the royalty for no rhyme or reason’. So during today’s events, the reason that he will concoct will be fairly simple… for example, he will implicate the Little Demon Empress in a few rumors that would cause all the people to rise up in fury, scandals that he himself has created, of course! And they will be the most vicious and evil of rumors possible… Such as promiscuity, harming her loyal citizens and even feasting on the innards of children.”
Yun Che’s eyebrows slanted fiercely and he said in a low voice, “And if these kinds of rumors were to be shouted out by a single person, no one would pay any attention… but if half of the Guardian Families and half of the royalty support these rumors and join their voices to rebuke the Little Demon Empress, then all these people who have arrived from all over the Illusory Demon Realm won’t have a reason to doubt such lies! Furthermore, the public opinion will be manipulated in such a way that it will create universal fury throughout the lands. Thus, the Little Demon Empress’ reputation would be completely swept away and she would even become a villain in the eyes of the public… Once that happens, it would only be logical that Duke Huai succeeds the position, and it will even be done with the full support of the people!”
“That’s right!” Yun Qinghong said as he nodded his head with a heavy expression. Because once he noticed the strange seating arrangements, he immediately saw through all of Duke Huai’s thoughts.
“So does Father have a plan to help the Little Demon Empress avert this calamity?” Yun Che asked in a serious voice.
Yun Qinghong lapsed into a momentary silence, and then slowly said, “The plan is actually fairly simple, but now that seven Guardian Families and the majority the royalty have sided with Duke Huai, it will be even harder to realize it, nearly impossible in fact.”
“What is the plan?” Yun Che asked swiftly.
“The plan is that we incline the hearts of the heroes gathered towards the Little Demon Empress before Duke Huai can begin his scheme, so as to not allow his people to voice out the accusations they had already prepared…”
As Yun Qinghong finished speaking, he gave a long exhalation and he shut his eyes. It was clear that he was bitterly pondering how he should face and deal with the coming scenario.
Yun Che silently considered Yun Qinghong’s words and he was also drawn into deep thought. After a while, he suddenly opened his mouth and said, “Father, once the grand ceremony starts, no matter what I do, I hope that Father does not stop me.”
Yun Qinghong opened his eyes and gazed at him deeply. But he did not ask what he was going to do exactly, instead he simply nodded his head silently. And in the midst of those eyes which were as deep as the sea, laid the trust that a father had in his son, a trust that needed no reasons.
“The—— Little—— Demon—— Empress—— Has—— Arrived!!”
At that moment, a reverberating, earsplitting voice filled the Demon Imperial Hall and the originally noisy grand hall immediately fell into a hush. It was so quiet that one could hear the sound of pin dropping. Every single person raised their head to the skies and gazed at the sky above the grand hall.
Chapter 540 - She’s the Little Demon Empress?!
The sky above the hall was suddenly wreathed in the light of flames as a gigantic three-legged Golden Crow appeared amidst the fiery sky. Its wings were spread wide and it let out a long cry which tore through the air. After this, the three-legged Golden Crow descended from the flames and as it descended, it left a long scarlet curtain of fire in its wake. The fire curtain descended from the top of the hall all the way to where the Emperor’s throne was. Once the three-legged Golden Crow touched the ground, it disappeared. Behind the curtain of fire, a blurry figure could vaguely be seen seated on that throne.
Everyone within the great hall uniformly rose from their seats; Yun Che was also pulled up by Yun Qinghong. After which, everyone present knelt on the ground.
“We respectfully welcome the Little Demon Empress!!”
Every single person who had to privilege to be invited to the Demon Imperial Hall were undoubtedly the strongest of the strong. The sound of one hundred thousand overlaying voices rising in reverence produced such a vastly powerful sound that it caused the ears of the weaker profound practitioners to reverberate, while also causing their internal organs to churn. And if this was just some normal hall, the power of these voices could cause it to vibrate until it collapsed.
“Everyone, you may rise.” A severe voice rang out from behind the curtain of flames.
Everyone returned to their seats and when Yun Che returned to his seat, a look of suspicion crossed his face: This voice… why does it seem so familiar to me? I’ve clearly never seen the Little Demon Empress before.
Following the descent of the Little Demon Empress, the hall became so quiet that one could hear a pin drop; a heavy atmosphere seemed to envelope every corner of the hall. At this time, the figures of two tall women slowly surfaced from behind the curtain of flame. The two women had features that were both pretty and solemn; one of them was human while the other was a demon, and both exuded the powerful aura of the Tyrant Profound Realm. They extended their hands at the same time and took hold of the fire curtain. After which, they slowly pulled the burning curtain of flames to the left and the right, revealing the figure of the Little Demon Empress.
Yun Che had always held a deep curiosity regarding just what kind of person the Little Demon Empress was. So after the curtain of flames had been parted, he steadily stared at the figure which was seated on the throne. Her appearance was exactly as Xiao Yun had described, she was wearing grey clothing and she was not adorned in the imperial splendor expected of a ruler. Moreover, her figure seemed exceptionally tiny, and at first glance, she seemed to have the body of a little girl, but once he could see her features clearly…
Yun Che’s eyes widened instantly and his body swiftly withdrew to the back as he placed his body behind Yun Qinghong.
“Eh, Big Brother, what’s up with you?” Xiao Yun hurriedly asked as he noticed Yun Che’s sudden strangeness.
“She… She… She… She’s the Little Demon Empress?!” Yun Che stammered as his tongue tied itself into a knot, as his teeth started chattering.
“That’s right.” Xiao Yun automatically replied as he nodded his head, “Big Brother, you seem to be really strange right now… Could it be that you’ve already seen the Little Demon Empress before?”
“But… Didn’t you tell me that the Little Demon Empress looked terrifying and that her face was fierce and forbidding?! This Little Demon Empress looks completely different from the way you described her!” If this place was not the venue of the grand ceremony, Yun Che would’ve roared at Xiao Yun until saliva sprayed his face.
The Little Demon Empress was swathed in grey clothes, but underneath all of that loose grey cloth lay an exquisite and delicate body. Both her eyes were as gloomy as the night sky and they emitted a coldness that seemed like icy knives. However, her features were exquisite and beautiful, and they seemed to be carved from snow and ice.
This was clearly the grey-robed little girl whom he had seen outside Demon Imperial City three nights ago. She was also the person who had nearly killed him!!
That little girl… was actually the Little Demon Empress!
That she was the Little Demon Empress was nothing much… What was more important was that on that night, in her ignorance, she showed her naked body to Yun Che… and Yun Che had observed every single part of her body; he had even continued to look for fifteen minutes…
And the most important thing was that after he got caught by her, even his face was recorded in her memory!
Is this some kind of cruel and unusual joke the heavens are playing on me?!
Yun Xiao had an innocent expression on his face, “I did say that the Little Demon Empress was very scary, oh… I also recall telling you that I didn’t dare to look directly at her face. What I really meant was that the Little Demon Empress’ aura, gaze and temperament was extremely terrifying. Every time I saw her, my heart would start beating wildly and a chill would run down my spine. But I never said that the Little Demon Empress’ features were scary. After all, everyone recognizes her as the number one beauty in the Illusory Demon Realm.”
“~!@#…” Yun Che suddenly had the urge to throttle Xiao Yun to death, ”That last sentence… Such an important piece of information, why didn’t you tell me that day?!”
Xiao Yun’s neck contracted and his expression grew even more innocent, “You… You didn’t ask me what the Little Demon Empress looked like, Moreover… I felt that this information was not really that important at all.”
Yun Che smacked his forehead as he choked on his words silently.
But now that he thought back to that day, when Xiao Yun called the Little Demon Empress ‘terrifying’ and ‘scary’, he was referring to the feeling she gave off, and he definitely did not say that her features were scary. But the way he described it made it very easy for one to think of a sinister, fierce and forbidding face that people would not dare to look at. Furthermore, since she was even older than his father Yun Qinghong, she should definitely be a middle-aged lady…
So with the description provided by Xiao Yun, he definitely would not be able to connect the Little Demon Empress to a little girl who did not look a day over fifteen!
And even though she was also dressed all in grey, it did not tell you anything, because it was far too normal for those who worshipped the Little Demon Empress to imitate her style of dressing… And even though she used the Golden Crow’s flames… all of the Illusory Demon Royal Family could also use the flames of the Golden Crow…
Right now, Yun Che was tangled into a complete mess… this scenario was simply too stimulating.
Before this, he was calmly thinking of how he and his father could solve the crisis that the Little Demon Empress would encounter during this grand ceremony, but now… the one who faced the greatest danger was actually himself!
Whether he could walk out of this place alive today was totally an unknown quantity right now.
He had actually seen the stately Little Demon Empress naked… this kind of charge perhaps could not be cleared even if he had his head chopped off ten thousands times. After all, this was the Little Demon Empress who had been officially wed to the Little Demon Emperor as it was witnessed by all; this was the ruler of the entire Illusory Demon Realm.
Yun Qinghong shot a glance at Yun Che. His face was filled with suspicion, but just as he was about to ask, the Little Demon Empress slowly rose from her throne.
“From the time this empress had succeeded her husband’s position, in the blink of an eye, it has already been one hundred years. In these hundred years, even though I have been unable to make any great contributions to our people, at the same time, I have also have not led our people into chaos and disaster. So it could be said that I have acquitted myself adequately in this task that my royal father and husband has entrusted to me.”
“The Hundred Year Reign Ceremony is normally an occasion of great celebration, but this time it is different. This empress has reigned for one hundred years, and it has been one hundred years since my royal father and husband have passed away. Even though one hundred years have passed, I have not yet been able to avenge my royal father, nor husband! Under this hatred and enmity, what is joy is there? What is worth celebrating?”
“Thus, during this grand ceremony, there will be no singing and dancing, no praise and acclamation, and no one will be allowed to present tribute. Today we will only speak of the events that have happened over my hundred year reign and of our plans for next hundred years.”
If one observed the features of the Little Demon Empress, one would discover that she was so beautiful, even the sun and the moon paled in comparison. But accompanying those beautiful features was a heavy oppressive aura which could overturn both heaven and earth… Even if she was a ruler, this kind of oppressive aura was simply too heavy. It was so heavy that it was sufficient to cause a powerhouse of the profound world to have difficulty breathing when they faced her.
This kind of oppression, which was terrifying enough to cause one’s heart to palpitate, was completely enough to cover up her breathtaking looks.
She stood in front of the throne, coldly surveying the one hundred thousand experts of the Illusory Demon Realm gathered here, and began to slowly speak. Every word that proceeded from her mouth was ear-splitting to the point where one might go deaf; each word contained the power to completely shake one’s heart and soul. Every large force in the hall did not only have great strength, they also held key responsibilities within the Illusory Demon Realm, but every single one of them bent their heads and silently listened; no one dared to raise their head to look directly at her, and not a single disrespectful movement was made.
A girl who only looked like she was fifteen at most… and she was even recognized as the number one beauty in the Illusory Demon Realm… Yet she was the ruler of the billions of citizens within the Illusory Demon Realm!!
For the Yun Che who had ‘seen’ the Little Demon Empress for ‘the first time’, the impact it had on his spirit and eyes was undoubtedly extremely big.
The Little Demon Empress raised her right arm and her broad grey sleeve hung down to expose her snowy and tender palm, while also revealing a part of her white jade arm. The maid who was standing to her right slowly stepped forward, bending her head as she presented a small scarlet wine cup.
The Little Demon Empress slowly picked up the wine cup, and the audience hurriedly scrambled to pick up the wine cups that were prepared for them. Once they had done so, they held the wine cup in clasped hands and held them out towards the Little Demon Empress.
“Today’s grand ceremony will begin with this cup of wine!” The Little Demon Empress raised her hand to the sky and she wore an expression of such majesty on her young and girlish face that no one could despise her.
“This cup, is to first salute our Illusory Demon Realm!”
“To secondly salute all the ancestors of the line of the Demon Emperor!”
“And to thirdly salute all of you who are gathered here today! All of you are the cornerstones, pillars and walls of my Illusory Demon Realm and for the past one hundred years, this empress has completely relied on your strength to assist me… This empress will make the first toast to show my respect!”
As the Little Demon Empress’ voice fell, she had already raised her head high to drink the wine in her cup.
“Thank you, Little Demon Empress!”
All the people gathered were terrified without exception, and they hastily drank the wine in their cups in panic, not daring to leave even a single drop. There were some who were so excited that their hands began to shake, because in the Hundred Year Reign Ceremony, it has always been them who toasted the Demon Emperor first. But this time, it was the Little Demon Empress who made the first toast, and this naturally filled them with extreme terror.
The Little Demon Empress set down her wine cup and surveyed the people once more. Those eyes which were already filled with a heavy aura of death suddenly released a bone-piercing coldness. She asked in a bland voice, “Who was it that planned today’s seating arrangements?”
Everyone in the great hall immediately held their breaths; those who were not in the know looked at each other helplessly while the faces of those who dwelt in the Demon Imperial City suddenly changed… The seating arrangements of the Twelve Families had been constant for ten thousand years, and everyone did not doubt that the Little Demon Empress could tell the problem of this grand ceremony’s seating arrangements with one glance. But no one had guessed that a mere second after she had toasted all the heroes and important ministers of the land, she would, in front of all who were present, suddenly inquire regarding this matter in the middle of this grand ceremony.
This turnaround was so quick that it left everyone helpless and at a loss.
Chapter 541 - A Gaze That Could Kill
“Oh…” Yun Che stretched his neck, even he did not expect the Little Demon Empress to suddenly make such an ill-timed action.
The great hall descended into a dead silence for a few breaths, after which, a man slowly stood up from among the seats in the east wing; it was Duke Huai himself. He bowed in salute and said, “Reporting to the Little Demon Empress, it was this humble duke who arranged the seats.”
“Hmph!” The Little Demon Empress raised her eyebrows and coldly said, “It has already been ten thousand years from the time the Twelve Families followed the First Demon Emperor to conquer the realm till today, and in these ten thousand years, the seating arrangement during a Demon Emperor’s grand ceremony has never changed. So why did you change the seats of the Twelve Families? You’d better give this empress a satisfactory explanation!”
This time, he had arranged the seats to give the Little Demon Empress a show of his strength, to let her know that the power that should have belonged solely to the line of the Demon Emperor has now largely shifted towards him. But little did he expect that she would suddenly spring this difficult question on him during the grand ceremony. He replied in an unperturbed manner, “Reporting to the Little Demon Empress, this humble duke participated in the arrangement of this grand ceremony, so I did not dare be careless. I had first asked the various Patriarchs and Dukes on where they would prefer to be seated, but I did not think that the majority of them wanted to sit in the east wing, so this humble duke independently decided to change the seating arrangements of the Twelve Families and the various Duke Palaces. I hope that the Little Demon Empress will forgive me.”
The words that had just been uttered by Duke Huai did not mean much to the people who came from outside the Demon Imperial City. At most, they would only find it strange that Duke Huai would ask the various families where they wanted to sit when he was organizing this grand ceremony. But the powers within the Demon Imperial City naturally understood exactly what he was saying… That the so-called ‘majority that wanted to sit in the east wing was clearly “the majority who were willing to swear their allegiance to Duke Huai”!
“Independently decided?” The Little Demon Empress narrowed her eyes slightly and even this slight change in expression caused the atmosphere within the entire great hall to abruptly turn cold, “And who gave you this power to make such a decision? The Twelve Families and the Duke Palaces are supposed to be placed on equal footing, and the only one who has the power to change the seats of the Twelve Families and the Duke Palaces, is only this empress! When was it up to you to arrange the positions of the Twelve Families?! In the next grand ceremony, do you also want to change the seat of this empress as well?!”
“This humble duke does not dare!” Duke Huai hurriedly bowed and lowered his head, his face was filled with anxiety and panic as he secretly ground his teeth together… With all the heroes of the realm as witness, he naturally could not retort even if he received such a harsh rebuke from the Little Demon Empress; he could only earnestly endure it.
The Little Demon Empress’ gaze swiveled and she looked in the direction of the various Guardian Families and Duke Palaces seated in the east wing. Her tender lips curled up and she slowly punctuated each and every word in an extremely bland voice, “All of you… like… to sit in the east wing?”
The east wing held seven of the great Guardian Families and sixty Duke Palaces, but under the concentrated gaze of the Little Demon Empress, every single one of them felt their hearts tighten up in anxiety as their hands turned cold and clammy. It felt as if an icy-cold blade had been placed at their throats. This feeling was exacerbated by the fact they all had harbored ulterior motives in their heart. Forget about talking, none of them even dared to raise their heads. Every single one of them held their breaths and did not even dare to gasp for air.
And even Yun Che, who was seated in the west wing, could feel an incomparably heavy aura of oppression. He couldn’t help but be silently amazed… This Little Demon Empress’ aura was simply too terrifying, but then again, it was not surprising… One hundred years ago, she first lost her father and then lost the husband she had married not too long ago… who was also her younger brother. As the last person who bore the bloodline of the Demon Emperor, she had no choice but to bear this heavy burden… and despite that, all these years, certain people had been trying to snatch away the ten thousand year legacy of her ancestors…
“To be filled with hatred against both heaven and earth” was not even enough to describe the feelings she held in her heart and soul.
Moreover, she was simply too tiny and delicate, while her features were the crown of the mortal world. So if she did not have a sufficiently imposing aura, how could she then rule over all the heroes of the realm?
The great hall was filled with a deathly stillness as the seven Guardian Families and sixty Duke Palaces didn’t dare to reply. They had only thrown in with Duke Huai because they witnessed his strength growing stronger as the days passed, and if they didn’t make such a choice, when the Little Demon Empress was forced to abdicate, even if they were not destroyed, they would definitely not be well off. So even if they were now inclined towards Duke Huai, it definitely did not mean that they did not fear the Little Demon Empress.
“Patriarch Helian, why don’t you answer this empress’ question? Why did you choose to sit in the east wing?”
As the Patriarch of the Helian Family, Helian Kuang had enough power and status to lord over the entire Illusory Demon Realm and his name fit his disposition as he was famous for being fearlessly domineering and arrogant. But once his name was abruptly spoken by the Little Demon Empress, the entire Helian Family felt their bodies fiercely quiver. He stood up and clasped his hands. But as he was about to speak, his gaze suddenly met with the gloomy and chilly gaze of the Little Demon Empress and his heart immediately froze in his chest as he felt a chill run through his entire body. His mouth flapped open quite a few times, yet he could not utter even a single word.
No one had expected the atmosphere to suddenly become frozen right as the grand ceremony began.
At this time, Yun Qinghong stood up and he spoke in a reverential tone, “I beseech the Little Demon Empress to calm her anger, this Yun has something to say.”
The Little Demon Empress was unfazed and she blandly said, “Speak.”
Yun Qinghong continued, “Yes… Today is the anniversary of the Little Demon Empress’ hundred year reign. This ceremony is witnessed by all under heaven and all the heroes of the realm have come from the length and breadth of the realm to celebrate this day with you. Even though the change in the seating arrangement is a little unseemly, but in the end, seats are merely seats. In the eyes of this Yun, it is not such a big deal. If the Little Demon Empress is not happy that Duke Huai has independently rearranged the seats, you can order him to change it back once the grand ceremony is over. There is simply no need to dampen the atmosphere over such a trivial matter.”
Yun Qinghong’s intention was partly to advise the Little Demon Empress to remain calm, and partly as hidden mockery. The Little Demon Empress faintly arched her brows, and after that, she slowly nodded her head, “Patriarch Yun is indeed correct, this sort of trivial matter is simply not worthy of this empress’ attention. Patriarch Yun, please be seated. Helian Kuang, you may also withdraw!”
One was asked to “please be seated”, the other was ordered to “withdraw”; one was addressed as “Patriarch Yun” while the other was directly addressed as “Helian Kuang”. It was so blindingly obvious who the Little Demon Empress favored more; even a fool could tell with a glance. The Helian Family had been suppressed by the Yun Family for ten thousand years but for the first time in history, they were the chief representatives. So not only were they unusually pleased with themselves, they also kept shooting taunting gazes over at the Yun Family to provoke them and show their dominance. But now, they had been slapped on the mouth by no less than the Little Demon Empress herself… and this was even done in front of all the heroes of the realm, as all their prestige went down the drain.
As for the Duke Huai who still stood there bowing, it was as if the Little Demon Empress had forgotten about his existence. She did not continue to bother with him and Duke Huai could only give a resentful laugh as he retook his seat.
Yun Che silently pondered to himself: The temperament of this Little Demon Empress was simply too unyielding and overbearing. Duke Huai tried to use the seating arrangements to give the Little Demon Empress a show of his strength but she borrowed this little display to slap him across the face… This woman, I definitely cannot afford to provoke her!
As Yun Che was lost in thought, he suddenly saw the Little Demon Empress’ gaze swivel in his direction. His heart was filled with shock and he hurriedly ducked his head as he prattled on inwardly like a broken record… Please do not see me… Please do not see me… Please do not see me…
The Little Demon Empress tacitly nodded at Yun Qinghong, but all of the sudden, her eyes flashed fiercely and they bored in on the person who stood by Yun Qinghong’s side.
The sudden change in the Little Demon Empress’ eyes startled Yun Qinghong, but he immediately realized that the person the Little Demon Empress was scrutinizing was not him, but it was Yun Che instead. Just as he was about to rise and take the initiative to ask, the Little Demon Empress opened her lips and asked, “Patriarch Yun, this Empress has heard that you have just taken in a godson, is it that person who is beside you?”
Yun Che: !@#$… As expected, I was still discovered!
Yun Qinghong stood up and replied, “Reporting to the Little Demon Empress, yes, it is as you say. My godson’s surname is also Yun, with the name Che, and he has a great affinity with this Yun’s family. Three month’s ago, he saved my unworthy son’s life and he even become sworn brothers with my unworthy son. So this Yun simply went with the flow and I took him in as a godson… Che’er, what are you waiting for? Rise and greet the Little Demon Empress.”
Yun Che put on a brave face and rose while plastering an extremely “honest” smile on his face, “Yun Family’s Yun Che… greets the Little Demon Empress.”
Even though Yun Che’s head was bent, he could still clearly feel a killing gaze piercing into his body, as if it wanted to directly pierce all his internal organs… Yun Che had never believed that a gaze could kill, but right now, the gaze of this Little Demon Empress could definitely cause a timid person’s courage to rupture, causing him to die on the spot.
Fortunately, this killing gaze only endured for an instant. Following that, the Little Demon Empress’ cold and lifeless voice rang through the air, and she only said three words, “You may sit.”
Yun Che’s bottom hit the chair and he silently breathed a sigh of relief.
Mu Yurou gently pulled on Yun Qinghong’s sleeve and whispered, “Our son, has he met the Little Demon Empress before?”
“I’m afraid that it’s a lot more than ‘met’ this time.” Yun Qinghong said with a bitter laugh.
“But, in this period of time, Che’er has hardly left the house. Moreover, the Little Demon Empress is also not a figure that normal people can meet, so how is that possible?” Mu Yurou said in a mystified voice.
Yun Qinghong lapsed into a momentary silence but after that, he slowly said, “Three days ago, in the dead of the night, I detected Che’er concealing his own presence. After he had circled around the Yun Family household, he left and headed north… And his presence concealment could be said to be perfect, if not for the fact that I occasionally saw a black shadow flitting about, even I would not be able to detect it. Not long after that, the aura of the Golden Crow’s flames exploded from somewhere north of the city and from the pureness of that aura, it could only be the Little Demon Empress. And it was only a short period after that incident that Che’er returned home… I didn’t think too much of it back then, but now that I think about it, something ‘big’ seems to have happened that night, and those Golden Crow flames might very well have been directly targeted at Che’er.”
“This….” Mu Yurou had a face full of astonishment.
The Little Demon Empress returned to her throne and her towering imperial majesty enveloped the entire Demon Imperial Hall, causing the air to be so stifled that it stopped moving, while each and every one of her words struck directly at everyone’s heart and soul.
After the Little Demon Empress had found out that he was not dead, and it had to be in this particular great hall, even though Yun Che had been through extraordinary experiences, he was still scared witless. Among all the people he had seen in his two lives, whether it was tyrannical power, an astonishing manner, or a cutting gaze, no one could compare with this person… Of course, this excluded the abnormal existence that was Jasmine. But if the Emperor of the Divine Phoenix Nation, Feng Hengkong, was compared with her, one could simply say that he would not even have a single speck of an emperor’s prestige or might in comparison.
The Little Demon Empress’ words reverberated in every corner of this great hall, but Yun Che did not continue to listen to what she said. Instead, he faintly shut his eyes and began to sincerely organize all of the findings regarding the history of the Twelve Families that he had gathered over this one month; and he began to ponder on how he should go about dealing with the coming scenario… Even though this Little Demon Empress had very nearly sent him on his way to the afterlife, he still had to repay this evil with kindness because he was a member of the Yun Family…
To think that there would actually come a day that I, Yun Che, would have to repay evil with kindness. Aghh!!!
“…Since this is so, let us start with the Northern Ocean Domain.” The Little Demon Empress’ gaze fell on someone who was seated in the back of the hall, “Is the ruler of the Northern Ocean Domain here?”
A tall and imposing man who was dressed fully in blue stood up, and he replied in an incomparably reverential and sincere voice, “Reporting to the Little Demon Empress, the Northern Ocean Domain is under this humble Kong Jingcang’s governance. The Northern Ocean Domain currently has a population of seventy three million people, and this population consists of ninety-one different races; humans comprise forty percent, while demons comprise sixty percent… Seventy four years ago, the Wild Wolf Clan rebelled and this rebellion was quelled in four years… Fifty three years ago, a natural disaster suddenly occurred as the Northern Sky Mountain erupted, and this calamity was only averted because the Little Demon Empress had sent enough people to help… Currently, the Northern Ocean Domain is at peace, with no disasters or rebellions…”
“…This humble one is the lord of the Profound Demon City, Feng Daosong. Profound Demon City and its surrounding regions have a total population of fifty-three million. The population consists of two hundred and twenty seven races. The core of our economy is still the professions of crafting profound formations and blacksmithing. Currently, my Profound Demon City has three of the ten greatest profound formation masters in the Illusory Demon Realm…”
“This humble one is the lord of the Five Way Domain, Lan Tengwu… For the past one hundred years, we have defended the border, not even letting down our guards for a single day, and we will definitely not allow the villains of the Profound Sky Continent to even take a step into our realm…”
………………
………………
The various lords began to declare the prominent events that had happened to their territories one after the other. In the center of the east wing, Duke Huai had a leisurely expression on his face, but his eyes betrayed his true unease. He kept looking in the direction of the Yun Family, and finally he crossed gazes with Yun Qinghong. Both of their eyes narrowed at the same time and Duke Huai gave a dull laugh… Yun Qinghong responded with a faint smile, but his smile carried an unmistakable clear disdain.
Duke Huai’s eyebrows furrowed fiercely.
Even though the two of them only had their eyes and expressions cross for that short span of time, they had issued what could be said to be an “ultimatum” to each other. Duke Huai was asking: Have you thought things through yet, and decided to stand with this duke? This is your, and the Yun Family’s, final chance.
But Yun Qinghong’s reply was only a short two words:
Haha.
Chapter 542 - Conflict Begins
Duke Zhong, who was beside Duke Huai, saw his facial expression change, smiled lightly and said, “I can see that you are truly being cautious about Yun Qinghong, and frankly, I can’t really understand it.”
“This duke will not deny it.” Duke Huai said with a stony expression, “This duke was most at ease during the years he was crippled. But when he healed without any warning, it was like a needle pierced through this duke’s heart… This duke felt that Yun Qinghong sees through what this duke has prepared to do at this Grand Ceremony, and when that moment comes, he would certainly take action.”
“If you fear Yun Qinghong that much, you must know his temper very well. Then, according to your understanding of him, do you think it’s possible for him to fall on our side?” Duke Zhong asked gradually.
Duke Huai’s breathing stuttered, then, he shook his head. “Impossible.”
“If we already know that it’s impossible, then why waste our emotions and hold on to this non-existent chance to try and rope him in?”
Duke Huai didn’t say a word.
“If Duke Huai is really afraid of Yun Qinghong ruining the plan, there is a simple way to take care of the problem.” Duke Zhong said with a sneer, “We could make it so he wouldn’t even be qualified to speak later, wouldn’t that solve the problem?”
The moment Duke Zhong said this, Duke Huai instantly knew what he wanted to do. After a brief silence, he gradually nodded his head.
Duke Zhong smiled, glanced sideways, slightly moved his lips, and sent a profound energy sound conversion to a person sitting on the edge of the seats, and signaled the person.
Yun Che wasn’t interested in the things the lords had to report. After thinking for a long time, he suddenly asked Yun Qinghong, “Father, the people who joined together to provoke the public’s opinion and pressured the Little Demon Empress to punish our Yun Family, were the seven Guardian Families across us, right?”
Yun Qinghong didn’t say a word, and nodded slowly.
Yun Che locked his eyebrows and said, “At the Hundred Year Reign Ceremony, the Guardian Families and each major Duke Palace would perform on stage, there’s even a tradition of a sparring competition, and there would be no exception this time. If I’m not wrong, the dukes across us would definitely find an opportunity to bring this up, and the method of the sparring competition would very likely be the East Wing against the West Wing.”
“That’s what Duke Huai would do,” Yun Qinghong said calmly. “With the Little Demon Empress who could take a great setback, and us who refuse to join his faction, how could he not? Or else, he wouldn’t have deliberately arranged the seats like this.”
“It all comes down to what reason he uses.”
Two hours had passed calmly at the Grand Ceremony. This Grand Ceremony, according to the original plan, would continue for at least three days and three nights. This was just the beginning.
At this moment, King Zhennan, who was stationed in the southern border, had just finished reporting what had happened over the hundred years. As soon as he got down, in the corner of the seats on the East, a young duke whose position was basically on the bottom rung suddenly stood up.
The Little Demon Empress glanced at him, and said faintly, “Duke Chu, is there something you would like to report?”
“Yes!” The person who was called ‘Duke Chu’ quickly moved to the front of the seats. When he spoke, his voice was obviously trembling. “There is an issue that has been bothering this humble duke for a long time. But this is an important issue, and it could possibly upset some of the superior figures here, so I don’t know whether or not I should bring it to light.”
The Little Demon Empress’ dark eyes narrowed, and she said coldly, “If you don’t know whether or not you should speak, then don’t speak. Step down!”
“…” It was as if Duke Chu’s throat was suddenly stabbed with a knife. He prepared for so long, but he couldn’t utter the words that were on the tip of his tongue, and his face was bloated until it was all red… when he said he didn’t know whether or not he should bring it to light, it was only something he said to slow down and foreshadow his next words, but he didn’t expect the Little Demon Empress to shoot him down with just one sentence before having the chance to continue to say it.
His face twitched as he responded ‘yes,’ and stepped down awkwardly.
“This idiot!” In the center of the east wing, Duke Huai scoffed.
At this moment, a person who was not far on the right from where Duke Chu was sitting stood up. From his appearance, he was one of the dukes as well. He cupped his hands, and said in a loud voice, “Reporting to Little Demon Empress, this humble duke has something to say! This issue had been on this humble duke’s mind for a long time. If it were said out loud, it might also upset some of the superior figures or even induce hatred. But this is an issue related to the Illusory Demon Royal Family’s reputation, and even the future of the Illusory Demon Realm. Even if people hold grudges against this humble duke, I have to say it no matter what.”
“Oh, is that so?” The eyes of the Little Demon Empress were like stars dotted in the night sky. “Then this empress shall listen to what Duke Xiang has to say, and see exactly how serious this issue is!”
Duke Xiang slightly gnashed his teeth, and said with a serious expression, “This humble duke earnestly requests Little Demon Empress to remove the Yun Family from the Twelve Guardian Families, and replace them with a force that has the ability and the qualification!”
“WAHH——”
The entire hall immediately went into an uproar with what Duke Xiang had said. No one had thought that the ‘serious issue’ Duke Xiang was going to address would be this shocking!
The Twelve Guardian Families were the twelve families who followed the First Demon Emperor and ruled the Illusory Demon Realm. Their existences were supreme like a sacred ground, and they were on the top of the Illusory Demon Realm. The Yun Family, in the past ten thousand years, had been the head of the twelve families, and had always been most valued by the Demon Emperor’s Clan. They had only been rapidly declining in the last century because of the Profound Sky Continent incident… Even though this Duke Xiang was also a duke, his position was low in the Royal Clan. Their Duke Palace’s force was not enough to compare with any of the twelve families. Now, in the presence of the Little Demon Empress, the Twelve Families, and all those under heaven, he unexpectedly asked the Yun Family to step down from the Twelve Guardian Families!
This was simply like dropping a clap of thunder from the sky.
The Little Demon Empress suddenly narrowed her eyes, and the top and bottom of the Yun Family were all furious. Yun Qinghong didn’t have much of a reaction, but not everyone was as calm as Yun Qinghong. Great Elder Yun Waitian suddenly stood up, not even caring that this was the Grand Ceremony, and cursed out loud, “You bold maniac, who do you think you are, how dare you speak of such nonsense!”
That Duke Xiang was surprisingly calm as he said softly, “Great Elder Yun, please watch your manners. Don’t let the world know that the Yun Family’s manners are like this.”
Yun Waitian sneered, “My manners are only for people who deserve it. An ungrateful dog who abandons its ancestors for profit and obey to someone else’s orders doesn’t deserve my manners.”
Yun Waitian’s words were so vicious that they made Duke Xiang’s calm face suddenly turn into the color of pig liver, as his lips trembled with rage, “Yun Waitian… you… you… you have gone too far!”
“You were the one who went too far!”
“Enough, the two of you, don’t go into a war of words.” Duke Huai stood up at this moment. The Yun, Mu, Under Heaven, Yan, and Su Family had already been suspicious of the shocking words this Duke Xiang suddenly stood up and said, thinking that it must be an order from Duke Huai. Now that he had stood up, it made it even more unmistakable.
Duke Huai didn’t wait for the Little Demon Empress to speak first, and said while smiling, “Duke Xiang, the Yun Family had been part of the Twelve Guardian Families for all previous generations of Demon Emperors, for ten thousand of years. They could be said to have had many contributions, but you suddenly report to ask the Little Demon Empress to have the Yun Family be removed from the Guardian Families. You should at least give us a reason for it.”
Duke Xiang quickly said, “If this humble duke doesn’t have a sufficient reason, how would I dare to say something about an issue so serious. And removing the Yun Family from the Twelve Guardian Families is not something that was thought of only by this humble duke. Of the people this humble duke knows, eight or nine out of ten agree! The reasons are naturally sufficient, and each and every one of them is known by all.”
Duke Huai stood up with his hands on his waist. It emboldened this Duke Xiang’s confidence, as he said with composure, “As the Demon Emperor’s Twelve Guardian Families, a strong ability is the basic requirement! At least, they should have an unbeatable late stage Monarch! Back in the days, the Yun Family had the most late stage Monarchs among the Twelve Guardian Families, and none of the families could compete with them. But, a hundred years ago, Yun Family’s eleven late stage Monarchs all died in the Profound Sky Continent! The Yun Family now doesn’t even have a late stage Monarch! The strongest of the whole family, Grand Elder Yun Jiang, is only at the sixth level of the Sovereign Profound Realm.”
“The whole world knows, having a late stage Monarch was the symbol of the highest force in the Illusory Demon Realm, but the Yun Family doesn’t have one anymore! A Yun Family like this doesn’t even count as a top force, so how could it be qualified to be one of the Twelve Guardian Families directly under the Little Demon Empress? How could they have the ability to guard the Demon Emperor’s bloodline?”
“Poor remark.” Duke Huai shook his head. “A hundred years ago, the Yun Family faced incredible difficulties. These were the consequences caused the impulse of Yun Canghai. Even if the Yun Family doesn’t have a late stage Monarch now, with Yun Family’s background, and given enough time, there might be one in the future.”
“No! That’s impossible!” Duke Xiang shook his head assuredly, “What decides a family’s future is the ability of the young generation! But, in Demon Imperial City, who doesn’t know how weak the Yun Family’s young generations are! Of those under the age of thirty, less than five are Overlords, and the highest power they have now is at the second level of the Tyrant Profound Realm… Oh, I heard that there was a Yun Xinyue who was passable, but unfortunately, he had already passed away.”
“With a Yun Family like this, what kind of future do they still have? What qualifications do they have to hold on to the title of Guardians? If a family like this can guard the Demon Emperor, wouldn’t it be a disgrace to the Demon Emperor’s bloodline, and be laughed at by the whole world?!”
“Shut up!!” It was as if Yun Waitian’s heart was stabbed when the name “Yun Xinyue” was brought up. He trembled in anger, “The reason the young generation of Yun Family are weak, was because we were plotted against, and were forced to endure the heavy liability. Or else, with the background of the Yun Family, and the power of Profound Handle of the Yun Family, we would never be weaker than anyone!”
Duke Xiang sneered, “Great Elder Yun’s words has just reminded this duke. That’s right, Great Elder Yun’s words is the second reason! And that’s the Yun Family’s misdeed!”
Duke Xiang pointed at where the Yun Family was sitting, and yelled loudly, “The Little Demon Empress has been on the throne for a full hundred years, but still wasn’t able to inherit the Golden Crow in Golden Crow Lightning Flame Valley… and why is that so?! Could it be that your Yun Family don’t know why?!”
“You!!” Yun Waitian’s body shook violently; this was his Yun Family’s greatest weakness. Even though he was furious, he couldn’t say anything about it. Because a hundred years ago, the Demon Emperor’s Seal was lost because of the Yun Family, and the Mirror of Samsara was also lost because of the Yun Family… these were irrefutable facts.
“Your Yun Family lost the Demon Emperor’s Seal, preventing the Little Demon Empress from awakening the Golden Crow’s bloodline, to achieve the highest of powers… it was all thanks to you Yun Family! The Mirror of Samsara was a treasure passed down from the First Demon Emperor. The previous Demon Emperor trusted you Yun Family fully, and let the Yun Family guard it, but you lost it… and even lost it in Profound Sky Continent, the land of our sworn enemy! Not only should you be sorry to the previous Demon Emperor, sorry to the Little Demon Empress… you should be even more sorry to all of the ancestors of the Demon Emperor’s bloodline!”
“With low ability and such heinous crimes that arouses great indignation, the Little Demon Empress showed a lot of mercy by continuing to let you keep the title of Guardian Family for a full hundred years! But you Yun Family should ask yourselves, what capability, what qualifications, and what dignity do you have to remain on the position of Guardian!”
This Duke Xiang’s words were very sharp, and his tone was very furious and agitated; each sentence was straight to the point. The people in the crowd were all moved by what he was saying and were agreeing to it, it was no wonder that Duke Huai let him come forward.
Clap, clap, clap, clap…
A burst of applause sounded, Duke Zhong stood up while clapping, and said with a serious expression, “Duke Xiang, that was on point! The Yun Family is sinful, and their strength has weakened too much. These issues are well-known by everyone, but they are still staying as one of the Guardian Families. At first, this duke didn’t think much about it, but hearing what Duke Xiang had said, this duke felt enlightened by these facts. It’s true that with the Yun Family’s strength now, and the other sins that they’ve committed, they should not continue to carry on the responsibility of Guardian, or else, they really would disgrace and drag down the reputation of the Royal Family, and become a joke for everyone! Because of the Yun Family’s crime, it was too merciful for the Little Demon Empress to only cut off their hundred years resources. It wouldn’t be too much to kick them out of Demon Imperial City right this moment!”
Chapter 543 - Confrontation
“A load of rubbish!”
Old Man Mu stood up in rage, pointed towards Duke Zhong and Duke Xiang and roared, “The Yun Family has protected the Demon Emperor for ten thousand years and everyone knows their accomplishments are greater higher than the heavens! They are the most deserving to be the leading family of the Twelve Families! Even if they have faulted, it cannot hide the accomplishments that they have done for ten thousand years! You all know fully well the reason why the Yun Family’s strengths have diminished! As for the future of the Yun Family, you guys are even less worthy to criticize it! Instead, I want to ask, for what motive do you all have for ganging up together to force the Yun Family out of the Twelve Guardian Families?!”
Mu Feiyan was the eldest among the Twelve Patriarchs. Along with his loud voice and dense profound strength, he caused the ears of everyone in the great hall to buzz. Duke Zhong did not panic and merely laughed: “Senior Mu, please calm down. What sort of motive could this duke have? This duke is just a small duke within the Illusory Demon Royal Family, whose blood originates from the First Demon Emperor. Naturally, all this duke does is for the sake of the Demon Emperor’s bloodline. Even if this duke would invite hatred onto myself, for the sake of the Demon Emperor’s bloodline, this duke has no choice but to say it.”
“How righteous you sound.” The Su Family Patriarch, Su Xiangnan, stood up, then looked intently at Duke Huai and Duke Zhong, “Although my Su Family has also existed to protect the Demon Emperor for generations, based on qualifications and accomplishments, we are far below the Yun Family! If even the Yun Family has to be expelled from the ranks of the Guardian Families, then which family would deserve to stay?! Wouldn’t this be disheartening for all the people out there who are loyal to the Demon Emperor’s bloodline?!”
“What Patriarch Su said is completely wrong!” The Helian Family Patriarch, Helian Kuang, rose from his seat and loudly replied, “The fact that the Yun Family has vast accomplishments is something that cannot be denied, but they have also committed an unforgivable mistake that would cause all the Demon Emperor Ancestors unrest! The Yun Family’s vast achievements have led to them obtaining their deserved glory and rewards! So shouldn’t they receive their deserved punishment for the mistakes that they have done? If they’re still allowed to stay in the Guardian Families after such an unforgivable mistake, wouldn’t it be telling us, the other Guardian Families that we don’t have to worry about making mistakes, and can act as we please?! If it’s like this, how could the souls of the generations of Demon Emperors rest? Where would the justice of the legislation of Illusory Demons lie? This is what would be truly disheartening for the people!”
“I, Helian Kuang, represent the entire Helian Family to fully support Duke Xiang and Duke Zhong in kicking the Yun Family out of the Guardian Families!”
“We, the Jiufang Family, also fully support the removal of the Yun Family from the Guardian Families!”
“We, the Nangong Family, fully support as well!”
A large faction that supported kicking the Yun Family out of the Guardian Families rose in support. Just like a hurricane sweeping past this ocean, a large commotion was created… Naturally, this commotion came from the east wing seats. At the same, some people who weren’t too sure were influenced by what was said and started to feel that the Yun Family did not deserve to remain within the Guardian Families. They shouted along as well, and as the commotion became louder, more and more people were influenced along. In the blink of an eye, the Yun Family had become the target of the people, as the entire hall burst with shouts for the Yun Family’s removal from the Guardian Families.
The only ones who were completely clear about what happened were the top powers of Demon Imperial City, especially the Guardian Families and those of the Duke Palaces sitting in the west wing seats. As the jeers grew louder and louder, all of them trembled in rage… Duke Huai’s faction was already frightening, if the Yun Family were to be chased away, they would not have any power to resist them anymore.
“Looks like this is where the will of the people lie. Looks like the Yun Family is no longer suitable to continue guarding the Little Demon Empress.” Duke Huai laughed.
The Yan Family Patriarch, Yan Zijing, stood up agitatedly, and raged: “All of you who have ulterior motives, don’t waste your efforts! We, the Guardian Families, only serve the bloodline of the Demon Emperor! In this world, only the Little Demon Empress is able to command the Guardian Families and decide our fates! The Little Demon Empress naturally has an opinion on whether the Yun Family deserves to remain in the Guardian Families! Other than the Little Demon Empress, none of you have any right to decide!”
The Little Demon Empress’ expression sunk. Just as she was about to speak, Duke Huai spoke before she could, and said loudly: “Patriarch Yan’s words are indeed correct. As the ruler of the Illusory Demon Realm, the Little Demon Empress is naturally the highest authority! But, not only do we, the various dukes and the guardian families, have to serve her loyally, we also have the duty to remonstrate her, especially concerning major matters that involve the prestige and pride of the Demon Emperor bloodline! The mistake that the Yun Family made is undoubtedly a major one, yet the Little Demon Empress allowed the Yun Family to remain within the Guardian Families for the past hundred years, and only received small punishments. This is already great magnanimity that the Little Demon Empress has shown the Yun Family. However, if the Yun Family remained in the Guardian Families, it would be too soft-hearted of her… and how would such soft-heartedness be befitting of a ruler! A real ruler should be clear with rewards and punishment and even decisive when killing! Otherwise…”
“Otherwise what?” Even though the Little Demon Empress looked calm, her gaze was icy cold: “Looks like Duke Huai is more competent than this empress on how to be a ruler.”
“This humble duke does not dare.” Duke Huai replied calmly: “The Yun Family and my Duke Palace have no grudges; Patriarch Yun and this humble duke could even be considered to be friends. All that this humble duke has said does not benefit me other than causing the Yun Family Patriarch to be unhappy with this humble duke, or even hate this humble duke. However, this is something that this humble duke has to say… This humble duke is absolutely sincere, and all that this humble duke has done is for the Illusory Demon Royal Family! I beg Little Demon Empress to please consider!”
“This humble duke also begs Little Demon Empress to please consider!” Duke Zhong said in a righteous manner.
“Little Demon Empress, the Twelve Guardian Families definitely cannot lose the Yun Family, definitely cannot!” Su Xiangnan shouted out respectfully.
The arena was instantly chaotic, none of the rulers outside of the Demon Imperial City could have imagined that just one phrase from Duke Xiang would lead to such a huge commotion. At this point, the smarter ones were already able to see some things regarding the situation.
Then, an elderly duke who was from the late Demon Emperor’s generation stood up, and said: “Since this matter is looked so heavily upon by the various dukes and guardian families and has created such a conflict, it cannot be rashly decided. Otherwise, it would only be disheartening for the citizens. However, this old subject has a suggestion.”
The Little Demon Empress looked on coldly without speaking. Since the old man was sat at the east wing seats, he was obviously on the side of Duke Huai and would definitely not say anything that was beneficial to her. However, with so many people present, she obviously could not reprimand a thousand year old subject; she only inwardly sneered.
“Senior, please speak, I’m all open to ideas.” Duke Huai looked on respectfully.
The elderly duke sighed pretentiously, and said: “The various dukes and guardian families are the cornerstones of Illusory the Demon Realm. Other than the Little Demon Empress, the dukes and the guardian families do indeed have the most right to speak. It seems as though the decision of whether the Yun Family is qualified to remain in the Guardian Families only concerns the Yun Clan themselves, but in regards to such a major matter, it cannot be decided based on one person’s private wishes. Since it’s like this, why not let all the dukes and guardian families whose right to speak is only second to the Little Demon Empress help the Little Demon Empress decide. Since everyone is gathered here, we shall let them witness whether there are more people supporting the Yun Family to remain within the Guardian Families, or whether there are more who support their removal from the Guardian Families. Whichever side has more people, will be the side we shall abide by. Isn’t this the fairest way?!”
“Little Demon Empress, how is this old subject’s suggestion?”
What the old duke said was definitely reasonable, fair and without loopholes. Under such conditions, even if the Little Demon Empress’s temperament was much tougher, she would still not be able to retort against his words. On the other hand, Duke Huai was already nodding in agreement: “If the majority of the dukes and the guardian families who have been guarding the Demon Emperor along with the Yun Family also think that the Yun Family does not have any right to remain, yet they still remain, this duke would not be satisfied, the whole Illusory Demon Royal Family would not be satisfied, and even everyone in this world would not be satisfied!”
“This is indeed the fairest method and this duke would not have any complaints about the results obtained from such a method.” Duke Zhong also said loudly.
“Good!” Duke Huai raised a hand, righteous asking: “Alright! Then let this duke and everyone else clearly see whether the Yun Family has the right to remain… Various Illusory Demon Dukes, all the Patriarchs of the Guardian Families, those who agree with this duke that the Yun Family should be kicked out of the Guardian Families, please rise!”
Whoosh!!
Just when Duke Huai finished speaking, Helian Family’s Patriarch Helian Kuang, Chiyang Family’s Patriarch Chiyang Bailie, Bai Family’s Patriarch Bai Yi, Nangong Family’s Patriarch Nangong Zhi, Lin Family’s Patriarch Lin Guiyan, Jiufang Family’s Patriarch Jiufang Kui, Xiao Family’s Patriarch Xiao Xifeng and sixty various other Duke Palaces all stood up.
“The Yun Family has long lost the right to remain, they must be removed! I, Helian Kuang am the first to support this!”
“What Duke Huai has said is what I, Chiyang Bailie, has thought all these years!”
“If the Yun Family remains, my Bai Family would not be satisfied!”
Seven Guardian Families, Sixty Duke Palaces; in terms of numbers, this was sufficient to completely overwhelm the opposition. Within the shouts for the Yun Family to leave the Guardian Families, Duke Zhong broke into a slight smile, whispering to Duke Huai: “Now Duke Huai no longer has to worry about Yun Qinghong spoiling matters, right? Once they are kicked out of the Guardian Families, they won’t have any rights to speak at this ceremony.”
Duke Huai squinted, then suddenly laughed coldly: “Such a great occasion and atmosphere, it’s such a waste to only beat down a Yun Family.”
Duke Zhong eyes flashed: “Duke Huai, what do you mean?”
“Of course it is to use this opportunity to embarrass those fellows who still remain obstinate, making them unable to raise their heads and straighten their back during this Grand Ceremony. Also, we can let Little Demon Empress know just how easy it is for this duke to replace her, heh…”
“Looks Duke Huai is already well aware of what to do next. Hehe, as expected of Duke Huai, to be able to follow you is the smartest decision this duke has made.” Duke Zhong laughed heartily.
Without question, no matter if it was the Guardian Families or the Duke Palaces, those who stood up were all from the east wing seats. Old Man Mu laughed coldly and roared: “All those who oppose to the Yun Family leaving, stand up… Do you really think we’re all herbivores?!”
Old Man Mu’s words were deafening. Su Family’s Patriarch Su Xiangnan, Under Heaven Family’s Patriarch Greatest Ambition Under Heaven, Yan Family’s Patriarch Yan Chengkong and the forty Duke Palaces on the west wing seats all stood up neatly, each one of them with serious and angry expressions.
One side had seven Guardian Families and sixty Duke Palaces.
Excluding the Yun Family, the other side only had four Guardian Families and forty Duke Palaces.
It was obvious which side was stronger with just one glance.
What was even more obvious was that all the families that wanted the Yun Family to leave the Guardian Families were in the east wing seats.
And those who opposed the Yun Family leaving were all seated in the west wing seats.
Even a fool could tell that now there was something was odd about this with such an obvious confrontation.
This was obviously two entirely different factions!
This was not a fight over the leaving or staying of the Yun Family, but the confrontation between two factions that suddenly sprung up.
What was even more evident, was that Duke Huai’s faction, was far stronger than the faction the Yun Family resided in.
Chapter 544 - Sinister Motives
It was instantly a scene of chaos. For those who supported the Yun Family, or more accurately, the Guardian Families and Duke Palaces who were still loyal to the Little Demon Empress; they were weaker in number, but the difference in strength was not overwhelming. Furthermore, those who stood on the side of the Demon Emperor’s bloodline stood upright, and they seemed to be even stronger than those whose heart had ulterior motives.
The Yun Family, who was in the midst of all this chaos, remained calm. Especially Patriarch Yun Qinghong, who sat there the whole time without saying anything.
However, not saying anything did not mean he had not communicated with anyone. In the midst of the conflict between the two parties, he had already sent several profound energy sound transmissions to the Little Demon Empress.
“Little Demon Empress, please control your emotions. Now is definitely not the best time for you interfere… Also, you shouldn’t unyieldingly protect our Yun Family. Duke Huai’s faction is hoping for you to do so.”
“This matter, let my Yun Family completely handle it!”
The Little Demon Empress’s temper was something Yun Qinghong knew best… Back then, he was beaten up by the Little Demon Empress and had to lie in bed for a month to recuperate. Ever since she became the Little Demon Empress, her temper only worsened. With this situation and her temper, if it weren’t for Yun Qinghong sending a sound transmission to immediately to stop her, she would definitely have started killing already.
Just when Yun Qinghong thought of the best solution to handle the situation, and was about to stand up, Duke Huai suddenly laughed and said, “Everyone, please calm down. Regarding to whether or not the Yun Family should remain as one of the Guardian Families, it’s obvious that more people support removing the Yun Family from the Guardian Families.”
“So what if there’s more people!” Mu Yubai replied harshly, “Duke Huai, do you really think that by pulling enough people towards your side, you can hoodwink everyone? Heh, a bunch of ungrateful, unfilial people. Even if there were ten times more people, they’re all just a bunch of rubbish that everyone looks down upon!”
Mu Yubai’s words instantly restarted the commotion in the great hall, turning it into an uproar yet again. Mu Feiyan nudged him with his elbow and threw him a mean look. Mu Yubai scoffed,and looked away.
Duke Huai’s expression did not change, as he spoke in a leisurely manner, “Brother Mu’s words are something this duke does not understand. However, Brother Mu’s first sentence was indeed true, a greater number of people doesn’t mean anything. After all, in our Illusory Demon Realm, or any other world, what decides everything is not the number…but strength!”
“What are you trying to pull this time!” Yan Zijing asked in caution. They definitely would not naively believe that Duke Huai’s “a greater number of people doesn’t mean anything” was speaking up for them. He definitely had an even more sinister motive.
“What this duke means is simple. Solely based on the number of people, we have thirty percent more than your side! However, you all would definitely not be satisfied based on numbers alone and neither would the rulers who came from the other places. Therefore, this duke shall represent all those in favor of removing the Yun Family from the Guardian Families, and propose a method much fairer, and easier to convince you all… At the same time, treat this as an opportunity gifted to the Yun Family from this duke!”
“During all the previous Demon Emperor’s Hundred Year Reign Ceremonies, there has always been the tradition where the various Guardian Families and Duke Palaces would perform on stage, show off their skills, strengths and might. This is the Little Demon Empress’s first Hundred Year Reign Ceremony and it naturally cannot be excluded! So how about this…” Duke Huai raised his hands up, grinned as he snapped his fingers, “Each side select twelve people to compete. Of course, in the previous Reign Ceremony competitions, it has always been battles between the young generation. After all, the strength of the younger generation determines the position of a force for the next hundred years. There would be no exception this time! The range of the age for choosing would be those who are below the age of thirty five!”
“If we luckily managed to win in the end, then you guys wouldn’t have any more complaints, right?” Duke Huai asked with all smiles.
“Good! Duke Huai’s suggestion is great!” Duke Zhong praised.
“In terms of numbers, we have already won. But by competing with strengths, the results would be more convincing. I have no objections!” Helian Kuang agreed loudly.
Duke Huai’s suggestion made everyone seated in the east wing reveal a mocking smile, and darkened the expressions of the ones seated in the west wing.
They knew fully well that the west wing did not lose only in terms of numbers, but they also had a huge disadvantage in terms of “quality”.
The east wing contained seven of the Guardian Families. If each family sent their number one genius of the young generation, then seven representatives would be the top seven elites of Illusory Demon Realm’s young generation: Helian Family’s Helian Ba, Chiyang Family’s Chiyang Yanwu, Bai Family’s Bai Jie, Nangong Family’s Nangong Yan, Lin Family’s Lin Hanchuan, Jiufang Family’s Jiufang Yu, and Xiao Family’s Xiao Donglai… Every one of them were figures whose reputation resounded within the entire Illusory Demon Realm.
As for the west wing, the members of the young generation who were on the same level were only Su Family’s Su Zhizhan, Yan Family’s Yan Chengkong, Under Heaven Family’ Number Six Under Heaven, and Mu Family’s Mu Hengyi… Yun Family did not have any disciples of the young generation at that level; the only one, Yun Xinyue, had already died tragically.
Just based on strength alone, Su Zhizhan and Helian Ba were the joint strongest members of the young generation within the guardian families. He was also the only person who could stand his ground from the west wing seats. For the other three, Number Six Under Heaven was only in the fourth level of the Tyrant Profound Realm while Yan Chengkong and Mu Hengyi were in the third level of the Tyrant Profound Realm.
As for the other side, among the favored children of the seven families, the weakest was still a fourth level of the Tyrant Profound Realm!
This was even not the worst part.
In the east wing seats, there were five members of the “Illusory Demon Seven Scions” who signified the most pinnacle strength of the young generation within Illusory Demon Realm!
Adding them to the seven geniuses of the seven guardian families, there were twelve people!
This was also the reason why Duke Huai suggested for each side to select twelve participants.
In the west wing seats, there were only two members of the “Illusory Demon Seven Scions”.
And these two… were ranked sixth and seventh.
In the west wing, the various patriarchs and dukes all gnashed their teeth in anger. With such a disparity in strength, how could the west wing win! The only possible result was not just an ordinary defeat, but an overwhelming one! Even though Duke Huai denounced his advantage in terms of numbers and seemed as though he gave the Yun Family a “chance”, his true motive was to chase the Yun Family out, while, at the same time, mercilessly defeat the families and dukes that did not stand on his side in front of everybody present; an extremely vicious thought.
“As for the rules, although it would be different from the usual spars held in the past, it should be fairly simple.” While appreciating the faces of everyone from the west wing seats, Duke Huai continued in all smiles: “The two sides will fight one versus one and the loser is eliminated while the winner stays until he is defeated by his opponent. Therefore, the competition would naturally be decided when one side is completely defeated and the other still has people standing on stage. Not only would this be the fairest way to determine the victors, the differences in strength between the two parties can be easily seen. If both parties compete and only one person from each team remains on stage, then the strength of both parties would be similar. However, if one side is completely defeated and the other side still has numerous people who have not competed yet… Tsk, tsk, wouldn’t that be extremely embarrassing… Do you guys… dare accept?”
The moment Duke Huai suggested this rule, the faces of the people from the west wing seats darkened yet again, their hearts becoming bitter.
If it was one versus one, twelve people each battling only once with the other side for twelves matches in total, and the number of matches won was used to decide the winner, then if their strength were extremely luckily malpositioned, the west wing side would still have that tiny bit of hope to win, or tie.
However, even though Duke Huai was extremely confident that he would not lose, he still chose an elimination style competition, so it must be noted that Duke Huai was an extremely cautious person. Because such a method was indeed the fairest, and it also completely removed any hope of victory for the west wing seats. The difference in strength could also be clearly seen by the number of people who did not participate, and from there, completely humiliate the other party.
The faces of the patriarchs in the west wing were sullen and they gnashed their teeth in anger… This battle, definitely could not be accepted! Accepting it would be certain defeat and they would also be harshly disgraced!
Even though not accepting would result in a great loss for them, it still could not be accepted.
Greatest Ambition Under Heaven who usually did not participate in conflict could not remain seated any longer. He stood up and asked with a sullen expression: “Duke Huai, do not forget your own identity! Your influence is still not big enough that you can decide the fate of us guardian families! So what if you win? Why must the Yun Family leave the guardian families if you win?!”
“Patriarch Under Heaven asked a good question!” Duke Huai closed his eyes, which now seemed as narrow as swords: “Let this duke give you a clear answer: If we win, it means we are stronger than you! In this world, strength is absolute! The amount of strength one possesses is equal to how much right they have to speak and how much authority they have! As for the stronger party, they naturally have the right to decide. In regards to the weaker party, they do not even have the right to refuse! No matter what world, what plane, this always holds true!”
“Is Patriarch Under Heaven happy with my answer?”
Each word Duke Huai uttered showed the wild ambition he had. At this stage, many could already tell how unusual this was. Strength being absolute was indeed the most basic law in life. With so many people practicing profound cultivation, which one of them did not do it in order to pursue strength, and which one of them did not do it to be above others?!
Duke Huai’s profound strength was not something to be looked down upon and his followers possess enough strength to shake the world. These words of his were said with a confidence and haughtiness that caused Greatest Ambition Under Heaven to be left speechless for a while.
“Yun Qinghong, this matter happened because of your Yun Family and its results would impact the fate of your Yun Family. Do you not even have the guts to make a decision?” Duke Huai turned towards the silent Yun Qinghong: “You can tell this duke straight. This extremely fair competition, are you going to accept it, or not?”
“Brother-in-law, you can’t accept this! The only person who can decide your fate is the Little Demon Empress. You don’t have to bother with those hoodlums!” Mu Yubai said lowly.
What Mu Yubai had said were also the words echoing within the hearts of everyone sitting in the west wing seats. However, just as he finished speaking, Yun Che stood up before Yun Qinghong, and shouted loudly: “Accept! We must accept! Does our Yun Family have anything to fear?!”
“Preposterous!!!”
Mu Feiyan’s beard had already curled up: “This is a major matter of the Yun Family, why are you, a junior, speaking nonsense! Qinghong, Yubai is right. The Yun Family does not need to bother with this matter. Let me see who dares to strip your Yun Family off the Guardian Families!”
Chapter 545 - Yun Che’s Attack
“Hahahahahaha!” Duke Huai threw back his head and laughed loudly. He shook his head, and his face expressed mockery, “Tsk-tsk-tsk-tsk, the Yun Family who was once the head of the Guardian Families and gloried for ten thousand years doesn’t even have the guts to accept the competition, and need other families to stand up for them now. So pathetic and pitiful. A Yun Family like this really doesn’t qualify to even look this duke in the eye. If they could still be one of the Guardian Families, it would be the biggest joke in the world, and it would be our Illusory Demon Realm’s number one laughingstock. Hahahaha.”
“Brother Yun, don’t listen to him!” Su Xiangnan’s eyebrows lowered as he said, “He was just provoking you. Everyone under heaven witnessed your Yun Family’s honor, and no one dares to erase it. I believe it more than anyone else that the Yun Family being at low ebb is only a temporary thing. The Yun Family has you, Yun Qinghong, and the protection of the heroic spirits of Yun Family’s ancestors. It will one day rise again!”
“I completely agree with what Patriarch Su had said.” Yan Zijing nodded heavily, and directly sent Yun Qinghong a Profound Energy Sound Conversion, “You mustn’t accept the challenge! Or else, there would be no coming back from this; even our families and the Duke Palaces would all suffer a setback.”
Under the gaze of the crowd, Yun Qinghong stood up slowly. He didn’t panic, and didn’t seemed to be expressing any anger. Instead, he looked directly at Duke Huai, and smiled lightly, “I agree with what Che’er had said. This battle, our Yun Family must accept!”
“What!” The three brothers, Mu Yubai, Mu Yukong, and Mu Yuqing, all yelled at the same time, “Brother-in-law, have you gone crazy?!!”
“Not crazy,” Yun Qinghong said smilingly. Even though he was the one standing in the eye of the storm, he was the calmest out of everyone, “If someone wants to challenge, then our Yun Family should naturally accept the battle, and this does not have to do with whether or not it determines our Yun Family’s destiny. For ten thousand of years, our Yun Family had encountered countless of battles, won countless of times, and have also been defeated before, but we have never chickened out!”
“If someone dares to challenge, then our Yun Family would dare to accept! Our Yun Family can lose, and we can afford to lose. But even if we suffered a crushing defeat, we would not lose our dignity!!”
Yun Qinghong’s words resounded and echoed in the hall. It pierced in people’s hearts, and made countless of people feel deep respect and admiration.
Old Man Mu raised his arms. He seemed to want to say something, shook his arms a little, and eventually put them down. He sighed and said, “Sigh, I knew you would make such a decision. You Yun Family are all stubborn. Yun Canghai was so, and so are you… Sigh, I guess that’s that. Since you choose to accept the challenge, then we, the Mu Family, will fight by your side.”
“Hehe, this momentum, sure enough, is still the same Yun Qinghong from twenty-five years ago!” Su Xiangnan bursted into laughter after a moment of silence. “If so, our Su Family will do everything to help!”
“Count our Under Heaven Family in!” Greatest Ambition Under Heaven said loudly. “Since Brother Yun had said so, then we shall advance and retreat together!”
“Can’t do it without us Yan Family!” Yan Zijing nodded heavily towards Yun Qinghong.
The Little Demon Empress who was on the throne didn’t make a statement because of Yun Qinghong’s strong persuasion. Her eyes were flickering, as she looked towards the left side of Yun, Under Heaven, Su, Mu, and Yan Family… Duke Huai’s ambitions, she had known long ago. As for how bad the situation was, she saw that even more clearly.
Under this situation, these five families were still willing to, and insisted, on standing by her side. This kind of pure loyalty, as well as the collective burst of pride in this nearly hopeless situation, let the feeling of being “moved” appear for the first time in hundred years in her emotions that were sealed in ice with resentment and sadness.
“Hehehehe, Yun Qinghong is Yun Qinghong after all.” Duke Huai twisted his mouth, “You really didn’t let me down. Even though you know you would definitely lose, you are not willing to be a coward.”
“But you let me down.” Within Yun Qinghong’s calm and indifferent tone, there was deep contempt.
This calmness and contempt caused an incomparable discomfort to surface in Duke Huai’s heart. He scoffed, and immediately looked away.
At this moment, Yun Che stepped forward, and used a voice loud enough so the people surrounding him could hear, “Father, may I take your place and say a few words to this Duke Huai?”
Yun Qinghong gave him a look, and nodded slowly.
“Good!” Yun Che’s raised his head, and faced Duke Huai directly. His question to Yun Qinghong and his actions immediately gathered everyone’s attention towards him.
Before, when the Little Demon Empress asked Yun Qinghong of his identity, it let everyone here know that he wasn’t one of the Yun Family, and instead was Yun Qinghong’s adopted son. Just now, when he yelled “accept the battle” before Yun Qinghong had even spoke, it made many people despise him, and now that he suddenly wanted to come out and speak to Duke Huai, they scoffed against this as well.
“Oh? You have something you want to say to this duke?” Duke Huai looked at him with a sideways glance, and laughed softly.
“I just want to ask Duke Huai a few questions.” Yun Che smiled innocently, “You asked for this battle, does that mean if we lose, our Yun Family would have to leave the Guardian Families?”
“That’s right.” Duke Huai laughed mockingly. “As for the reason, this duke thinks that it had already been stated clearly enough.”
“Oh!” Yun Che nodded, and said, “Then, what if we win? What good does it do for us?”
“Win? Hahahaha.” Duke Huai looked to the side, threw his head back and laughed loudly. The east wing also immediately fell down laughing, as if the whole group just heard a huge joke. Even the face of the people sitting in west wing were twitching.
Yun Che said smilingly, “What? What is the meaning of Duke Huai laughing loudly like this? If the two sides were competing with our strengths, then there will be winners and losers. And in this world, there are no competitions that one side will ‘absolutely’ win! If there really were, then the match would be meaningless, and there would naturally be no need to continue this… Duke Huai, do you agree?”
Duke Huai’s smile converged, and for the first time, he looked at Yun Che with some interest. The youngster in front of him was extremely calm and leisurely, even his gaze was unflinching. Duke Huai could vaguely see the shadow of Yun Qinghong within him. He smiled lightly, and said, “You are quite right. Since it’s a duel, naturally, anyone can lose, and anyone can win. But no matter who loses and who wins, the results will be pretty clear. If we win, then your Yun Family will have to leave the Guardian Families. But if you win, then you can naturally stay within the Guardian Families, and the people who are against would have no complaints.”
“Duke Huai, don’t you think what you’ve said was ridiculous?” Yun Che’s expression suddenly changed, and revealed a mocking smile.
“Ridiculous?” Duke Huai’s eyebrows slanted.
“Not only is it ridiculous, it’s extremely ridiculous.” The expression in Yun Che’s eyes became full of aggression. Even facing this imposing Duke Huai, his face clearly showed an incredible amount of contempt. “If we lose, the entire Yun Family would have to leave the place where we have stayed for a whole ten thousand years. The lives and destinies of the top and bottom of the whole clan would be turned upside down, and the consequences would be extremely tragic.”
“But if you lose, you don’t suffer any consequences!” Yun Che scoffed. “How in the world could there be something so unfair! This duel can be described as a gamble. And the bargaining chip on our side is the destiny of the Yun Family. And you… don’t even have any bargaining chips. This kind of duel that doesn’t even have the most basic fairness, what point is there for a duel?”
Duke Huai’s eyes narrowed. Then, he laughed loudly, “Hahahaha, Yun Qinghong, you really did adopt a good son. I’m surprised that he knows how to advance while stepping back. But attempting to get this duke to give up with this kind of clumsy method, that’s too ridiculous. You want this duke to wager something? Very well. This duke shall give you this opportunity. Just tell me, what kind of leverage should our side give?”
“Since Duke Huai had said so, then I will not hold back.” Yun Che steadily raised his arm, pointed at the seven Guardian Families behind Duke Huai, and said, “If we win in the end, then of the families of Helian, Chiyang, Bai, Nangong, Lin, Jiufang, and Xiao, each family must turn in two and a half kilograms of Purple Veined Divine Crystals in a month! And you, Duke Huai, must gather ten kilograms of Purple Veined Divine Crystals to our Yun Family!
As soon as Yun Che said this, everyone in the hall was stunned. The expression of the seven great Guardian Families in the east wing suddenly changed. Even Yun Qinghong’s facial muscle twitched violently.
If defeated… every family would have to turn in two and a half kilograms of Purple Veined Divine Crystals… Two and a half kilograms of Purple Veined Divine Crystals, not Purple Veined Heaven Crystals, not even normal Purple Crystals!!
Two and a half kilograms of Purple Veined Heaven Crystals were already priceless. As for Purple Veined Divine Crystals, that was something that could be called as a worldly treasure. To more than ninety percent of the citizens in the Illusory Demon Realm’s worldview, it was a mythical item that only existed in legends. It was so precious that even the word “precious” couldn’t describe it.
A whole two and a half kilograms of Purple Veined Divine Crystals, even the Guardian Families who had the top strength, skill, and resources would have to take hundred of years to accumulate two and a half kilograms of Purple Veined Divine Crystals!
With the power of two and a half kilograms of Purple Veined Divine Crystals and the background of the Guardian Families, they could easily cultivate at least five Overlords of the age under thirty. This generation of Yun Family’s young disciples’ strengths had fallen back greatly, and the main reason was because of the extreme limitation of resources, especially of the Purple Veined Divine Crystals… in the past hundred years, they weren’t able to receive any of it.
If a Guardian Family really handed over two and a half kilograms of Purple Veined Divine Crystals, then their strengths would definitely fall just like the Yun Family in the following generations of the next hundred years… and the Yun Family who received a large amount of Purple Veined Divine Crystals from the seven families, would not find it hard to become strong.
Moreover, with Duke Huai’s full ten kilograms… even if Duke Huai plundered everything from the sixty Duke Palaces that were on his side, it might not even add up to ten kilograms. And if he really did that, it would definitely induce the hatred of many of the Duke Palaces.
The “bargaining chips” Yun Che had shouted out, was far more than a lion opening its mouth wide!!
So, even if they knew they would absolutely not lose, the expressions of the seven great families and Duke Palaces all changed. Several of the Patriarchs’ bodies just shivered, and they couldn’t wait to point at Yun Che’s nose and yell and curse at him.
Faced with this kind of “wager”, Duke Huai was also starting to become unnerved. He laughed in a disdainful manner and said, “This duke didn’t think that with your young age, your appetite would be so large. However, you are merely Yun Qinghong’s adopted son. Even if Demon King Yun Canghai were alive, he wouldn’t have the right to order this duke and the Duke Palaces behind this duke. Why must we listen to your words if we lost? Mn?”
“Duke Huai asked a good question!” Duke Huai’s words not only failed to make Yun Che speechless, it in turn made his voice grow louder, “Let me give Duke Huai a clear answer: If we win, it means we are stronger than you! In this world, strength is absolute! The amount of strength one possesses is equal to how much right they have to speak and how much authority they have! As for the stronger party, they naturally have the right to decide. In regards to the weaker party, they do not even have the right to refuse! No matter what world, what plane, this always holds true!”
“Is Duke Huai satisfied with this answer?”
Duke Huai’s face immediately became stiff, and everyone was stunned once again.
The passionate, ambitious words that Duke Huai shouted out earlier when he faced Greatest Ambition Under Heaven’s questioning, was used by Yun Che without changing a word. Every single word was slapped back onto Duke Huai’s face.
“These are Duke Huai’s original words. I wonder if Duke Huai still remembers them?” Yun Che said smilingly. “Oh, if Duke Huai treats his own words like fart, then just pretend I never said anything, hehe, pretend I never said anything.”
Many people in the west wing were gnashing their teeth. Old Mu Feiyan revealed his grinning lips and said, “Tsk, tsk, this brat… even though we can’t win at all, and it would be useless to ask a hundred times more, being able to slap that guy on the face is also fantastic!”
Duke Huai’s face darkened slightly, and he didn’t make a sound. In this world, his own words were the hardest things to refute… because once he refuted them, then there was no doubt that he would be hitting his own face.
“Arrogant junior, you are not qualified to speak!!” The Jiufang family’s Patriarch, Jiufang Kui, couldn’t hold back anymore, as he stood up and roared angrily. Facing a whole two and a half kilograms of Purple Veined Divine Crystals, no one in the whole Illusory Demon Realm would be able to stay calm.
“Duke Huai, you don’t have to acknowledge this junior!” Helian Peng said in a deep voice, “Yun Che, who do you think you are, what qualification do you have to clamor in front of Duke Huai. Get down from there this instant.”
“Hahahahahaha!” Yun Che threw his head back and laughed loudly. He shook his head, looked at Duke Huai and the seven Guardian Families, with a face full of contempt and mockery, “If we lose, the Yun Family would lose ten thousand years worth of mission, status, and honor. But our Yun Family, even facing these cruel consequences, and in the situation with an absolute disadvantage, we still dare to fight!”
“And if you lose, you merely lose two and a half kilograms of Purple Veined Divine Crystals! Compared to the ten thousand years of Yun Family’s honor, let alone two and a half kilograms, even two hundred and fifty kilograms is not worth mentioning! Pity, what a pity… when you were calling us out and trying to expel us, each and everyone of you were more thrilled than the other. And in the case when you have absolute advantage, facing a wager ten thousand times smaller than our Yun Family’s, you chicken out like this. Tsk-tsk-tsk-tsk, it really is ridiculous and pathetic. Lined up with a bunch of families like this as the Twelve Guardian Families, even I, am embarrassed for our Yun Family!”
“And you, Duke Huai!” Yun Che simply ignored the murderous gazes of the various patriarchs. He stared at Duke Huai and laughed coldly, “If you are ready to gather a bunch of people to expel our Yun Family, ready to arrange a battle, and ready to say it’s for the whole Illusory Demon Realm whenever you please… I thought you were bold and daring, but you are nothing more than this! I merely suggested a far smaller wager than our side, but you didn’t even have the guts to accept, and even need the people behind you to clamor and protect you. Hehe, compared to my Father… Oh, no-no, from what it seems like now, you don’t even have the qualifications to be compared to my Father.”
After saying that, Yun Che didn’t even bother to look at Duke Huai. He directly turned to Yun Qinghong and said, “Father, we should just not compete in this battle. The chickens across from us are ridiculous. If we treated them seriously, it would lower our Yun Family’s class.”
Chapter 546 - Showdown!
Duke Huai had always been as tranquil as water, as if he had everything in the palm of his hands, so this was the first time his face had turned green.
“Hahahaha! Good kid!” Once Old Man Mu saw Duke Huai’s expression turn ugly, he let out a completely unrestrained roar of laughter. Originally, their side had been suppressed by Duke Huai since the very beginning, and they were suppressed to the point until they could hardly even breathe. Now that Yun Che had shown up, he forced the other seven families to collectively lose their rags, and also made Duke Huai reveal a deflated expression… It simply felt way too refreshing.
Everyone discovered that they had completely underestimated this young man. When he faced Duke Huai, his temperament was calm and collected from start to finish, and he did not back down an inch. Moreover, his words were extremely sharp and incisive; they rendered Duke Huai speechless and caused each of the seven Patriarchs to tremble in rage.
And what caused the people to truly gasp in astonishment was the immense nerve Yun Che showed! The person who was standing opposite him was Duke Huai, an individual who could strike a profound fear in the hearts of the Patriarchs of the Guardian Families and even the Little Demon Empress. Not only was Yun Che vigorous towards him, he yelled at him freely and recklessly. The imposing Duke Huai was called out to be good-for-nothing, and a chicken that cannot even be compared to his father. That expression of disdain and his tone of despise was clearly seen and heard by everyone.
Just based on what Yun Che just said earlier, the thought of killing him had already emerged in Duke Huai’s heart. His mind quickly calculated; he quickly confirmed the combat capabilities on his side and the strongest twelve people that the other party could send out. Then, he considered every possible uncertain factors, and the conclusion that he had reached, was that it was absolutely impossible for his side to lose.
Then, the only explanation that he could think of was this… the Yun Che before his eyes, was obviously pretending to be strong, trying to make him afraid, so he would avoid the battle that could make the other party lose their dignity!
That was the only possibility!
Thinking of that, Duke Huai immediately calmed down. He faced Yun Che’s back, and said, “Yun Che, your solo performance is too clumsy. Has this duke ever said that we don’t dare to accept?”
“Oh?” Yun Che turned around, and an expression of surprise flashed in his eyes… Even though it was only a split second, Duke Huai’s eyes were very sharp and he captured it crystal clear. He scoffed in his mind: I knew it.
“If so, that means Duke Huai accepts?” Yun Che asked seriously. He arched his eyebrow, and said while laughing lightly, “But, it doesn’t mean anything if only Duke Huai accepts. Can you represent the seven Guardian Families behind you?”
“Heheheheh,” Duke Huai had recovered the leisurely attitude from before, and said smilingly, “This duke had never really been afraid of anyone all my life, and I will definitely not be afraid of this wager you suggested. It doesn’t matter to this duke what this so-called ‘wager’ is, because this duke… will absolutely not lose, hahahaha.”
Duke Huai started laughing; although the laughter was not too loud, it was filled with deep arrogance. He turned around, looked at the seven Guardian Families, and asked, “Patriarchs, do you all have any objections?”
“If Duke Huai has no objections, we naturally would not have any either.” All the Patriarchs nodded in agreement. Looking at the confident Duke Huai, they all calmed down and thought… That’s right, if the fight was carried out according to the rules Duke Huai had suggested, it would not be possible for their side to lose! The differences in combined strength of the young generation between the two sides was too overwhelming, there was no chance that they would lose. Even if they could only send six people, they still had absolute confidence in defeating the twelve opponents!
Let alone it being twelve against twelve!!
Although the so-called “wager”that Yun Che had suggested sounded overwhelming, it was merely a thought that would never come true!
“Did you hear that?” Duke Huai looked at Yun Che with narrowed eyes, “We have agreed on the wager that you have requested. This competition will decide the Yun Family’s fate. Can we begin this competition yet? Or, do you still want to find other reasons to delay it?”
“Delay?” Yun Che looked shocked, “Why would we want to delay? From the start, I’ve agreed with holding the competition, I can’t even wait for it to begin. However, since Duke Huai knows that this competition is going to decide my Yun Family’s fate, then the fairness and the conclusion of the competition is undoubted crucial! This competition requires the absolute authority to oversee it.”
After Yun Che finish speaking righteously, he faced the Little Demon Empress, bowed and said, “Little Demon Empress! This competition, I request for you to please witness the whole process and the end results, then announce the end results to everyone here… and even announce it to the whole world!”
The Little Demon Empress looked at Yun Che steadily for a while, and her voice that was as cold as ice sounded, “Whether or not your Yun Family can continue to be part of the Guardian Families, the only person in this world who can decide that is this empress! Even if ten times more people are against you Yun Family, if this empress doesn’t agree, no one can interfere with Yun Family’s destiny. However, if this competition begins, and you lose in the end, then you will have to obey to the ‘wager’, and not be able to continue your duty as one of the Guardian Families. At that time, even this empress will not be able to keep you… Even so, are you sure you want to battle?”
“We must battle!” Yun Che said without any hesitation, “Our Yun Family is incredibly thankful for the Little Demon Empress’ high regard, but this battle is not only about our family’s destiny, but more importantly, our family’s dignity! If we don’t fight, even if the Little Demon Empress gave mercy and let our Yun Family continue staying on the position of one of the Guardians, there would be even more voices that want the Yun Family to leave, and everyone under the heaven will despise us. Our Yun Family is bound to fight this battle, and forever silence those dishonest people!”
Yun Che’s words deeply moved the hearts of many Yun Family members; made them clutch their fists, and nod their heads. They no longer thought that he was impetuous and reckless. The Little Demon Empress locked her brows and raised her head to look at Yun Qinghong… Yun Qinghong nodded slowly towards her.
“Very well!” The Little Demon Empress stood up, and a dominating force like the ocean instantly filled every corner. Her every word shock people’s hearts, “Then this empress will witness this battle personally! This battle, if Duke Huai’s side wins, the Yun Family will lose their right to be one of the Guardian Families; if the Yun Family’s side wins, then Helian, Chiyang, Bai, Nangong, Lin, Jiufang, Xiao, each of these seven families will have to gather two and a half kilograms of Purple Veined Divine Crystals in a month’s time, and turn it over to the Yun Family! And Duke Huai, you will also have the same amount of time to gather ten kilograms of Purple Veined Divine Crystals to the Yun Family!”
“These are the wagers that you have agreed to yourselves. No matter who loses, there is no going back on your words! Or else, this empress will be the first to not forgive this!”
“I thank Little Demon Empress!” Yun Che loudly said right after the Little Demon Empress’s voice. He then turned around, and faced everyone in the hall, “And everyone from different regions, brothers and sisters of our Illusory Demon Realm, Seniors, may you all please witness this together! With all the heroes in the realm witnessing this together, if the losing side still goes back on their words, then if would truly be embarrassing. At least, our Yun Family would never do something like that.”
With the witness of everyone, it was no question that these were the strongest witnesses! The result of this match, would also be brought to every corner of the Illusory Demon Realm because of the people here. If under a witness like this, the losing side wanted to go back on their word, then it would really be as Yun Che had said; their entire family would be humiliated.
“Well said, that was very well said. With the Little Demon Empress and everyone here as witnesses, that really couldn’t be better.” Duke Huai’s eyes narrowed until it was only a small line. As calm and as passionate Yun Che’s side acted, the more peaceful he felt. Because from how he saw it, this was obviously the other party using this method to try to earn some last pride for the Yun Family knowing that they would definitely lose. He used his lifetime’s amount of wisdom, and still could not think of any possible ways for the other party to win.
“No need to continue talking!” The Little Demon Empress waved her hand, her eyes were like cold stars, “I will give each side three hundred breaths of time to prepare and decide who will represent them. Twelve people on each side, and the age cannot surpass thirty-five! This empress will personally select the location for the battle!”
“We solemnly obey the Little Demon Empress’ order.” Duke Huai casually cupped his hands, and didn’t make any other movements so he could have time to look at Yun Family’s side. He had already decided who would to take part in this battle, so there was no need to waste more time to make a selection.
Yun Che went back to his seat, his expression serious. Xiao Yun’s face was already so tense that it was sometimes red and sometimes pale. After all, the showdown that was about to take place was going to determine the whole Yun Family’s destiny! He was extremely nervous as he said, “Big Brother, is… is everything really okay?”
Yun Che’s brows twitched, as he faced Yun Qinghong and said: “Father, do you trust me?”
Yun Qinghong looked at him, then said smilingly: “You are my son. If I don’t even trust you, who else would I trust in this world?”
Yun Che’s heart warmed. He smiled: “Father, don’t worry, I won’t fail to live up to your trust.”
However, Yun Qinghong shook his head: “Che’er, you don’t need to pressure yourself this much, nor do you need to take this burden on yourself. Since we’ve been forced to such a state, no matter if we win or lose, we still have to fight this battle. So what if we lose? So what if we are banished from the Guardian Family position? As long as the whole family still exists, no matter where the Yun Family ends up, there will be a day where we’ll rise up again! If we win, that’ll obviously be delightful, if we lose, we can afford to lose!”
Yun Qinghong’s words caused the nervousness in Xiao Yun’s heart to be blown away by a gust of cool wind. His expression eased, as he gripped both his hands: “Father, you’re so right! It’s exactly like this, even if the Yun Family loses, Father, Mother, and Big Brother are still here! What is there to be afraid of?!”
“Hehe.” Yun Che began to laugh, then said with incomparable seriousness: “Father, Mother, Xiao Yun, don’t you ever worry! Even though I can’t say with great certainty that we would be able to win this competition, I can promise you that even if we lose, we will still not be kicked out! Our Yun Family ‘s dignity also wouldn’t receive the slightest bit of taint either… So much that when the time comes, even if we want to voluntarily leave, everyone in the world wouldn’t be willing!”
“Ah?” Xiao Yun forcefully blinked his eyes, his face full of astonishment and bewilderment.
In comparison, Su Family, Yan Family, Mu Family, and the Under Heaven Family, were even more tense than the Yun Family.
“Zhizhan, our side’s core fighting strength in this battle is you! You have to remember, this is not merely related to the Yun Family’s matter, you have to give it your all!” Su Xiangnan gravely told his son.
“Rest assured Father, I will do my very best.” Su Zhizhan said with determination.
“Chengkong, our Yan Family will naturally take you out to battle. Remember, don’t slack off just because you think we’ll definitely lose. This is not only related to Yun Family fate, it also concerns our Yan Family’s future and honor! Even if we lose, we still have to lose tragically, after using all we have! Show our Yan Family’s heroic appearance in defeat!” Yan Zijing said while grabbing Yan Chengkong’s shoulder.
“Yes! I definitely won’t dishonor our Yan Family!” Yan Chengkong nodded heavily.
“Old Six, it’ll be your turn soon.” Greatest Ambition Under Heaven only spoke a few dull words, but his expression had already said everything.
“Old Six, no matter who the opponent is, you must never hold back!” Number One Under Heaven exclaimed.
“Old Six, good luck.” Number Seven Under Heaven said with a nervous expression.
“Father, and everyone else, don’t worry. I know what this competition means… how could I dare slack off!!” Number Six Under Heaven said with a cautious expression.
“Hengyi, you are the most outstanding person within our Mu Family’s young generation. This time, you shall go out to represent our clan. The opponents are all far stronger than we are, are you scared?” Mu Feiyan asked personally. Mu Yubai, Mu Yukong, Mu Yuqing were all unmarried, and didn’t have kids either. This Mu Hengyi was Third Grand Elder’s eldest grandson.
“Rest assured Patriarch. Even though my cultivation is low, if they want to beat me, it wouldn’t be that easy!” Mu Hengyi said with complete vigor.
After one person from Su, Yan, Under Heaven, Mu, and Yun Family, there were still seven remaining people that came from the Duke Palaces. Among these seven, there were two “Illusory Demon Seven Scions”, that were naturally selected while the various duke palaces had difficulty selecting the other five.
In this kind of tense and heavy atmosphere, three hundred breaths went by very quickly.
“It’s time.”
The Little Demon Empress who was closing her eyes in silence opened her eyes. She got up and instantly teleported to the center of the hall. Underneath her grey robe, her white, delicate skin was burning with bright, red fire.
At that instant, a red ring with a diameter of three hundred meters was deeply imprinted in the center of the jade floor, and the bright, red ring was made with many small, eternal flames.
Being the most vital great hall of the entire Illusory Demon Realm, every tile and pane present were extremely difficult to destroy, and a person who could imprint such a huge mark in an instant was scarce within the entire Illusory Demon Realm. This was also why the battles between the twelve families and the duke palaces were held within the great hall with no need to search for another venue during all the previous Demon Emperor Reign Ceremonies.
“The area of this ring is the competition area! During the battle, if one side surrenders, falls for more than ten breaths of time, or is hit out of the competition area, it would be counted as their loss!”
Chapter 547 - Instant Defeat
The arena that the Little Demon Empress had drawn just happened to be at the center of the Demon Imperial Hall. Duke Huai stood up and laughed, “You may enter first.”
The west wing patriarchs and dukes all gathered at Yun Qinghong’s side, with the eleven selected participants also standing behind them. As for the twelfth participant, that was naturally to be chosen from the Yun Family, but Yun Qinghong seemed to not have completely decided on who to select for battle.
“Brother Yun, how we’ll fight will be up to you to decide.” Su Xiangnan said. With Yun Qinghong directing them, he believed that no one would object.
Yun Qinghong slightly mumbled, “The outcome of this competition isn’t really judged by the number of wins, rather, it’s by an elimination system, so the order in which they go on stage isn’t all that important. Thus, the order should just be up to the children to decide. However… with how much I know about Duke Huai, even though he moves flamboyantly, he is still an extremely meticulous, cautious person. Even if he is absolutely sure about the outcome, he still won’t hold back. Therefore, he will dispatch all five of their ‘Illusory Demon Seven Scions’… including Hui Ran! You all have to mentally prepare yourselves enough for this.”
The various patriarchs and dukes nodded, their expressions becoming even heavier.
“Even though Duke Huai would not outright send his first string which possessed absolute power, he still would not forget to give us an initial show of strength. Thus, even if the other party’s number one is not their strongest, it still wouldn’t be their weakest, so the one who chooses to go out first must not hold on to the hope that their first selection would be their weakest. Instead, you must be aware that you are going up against a powerful opponent.” Yun Qinghong slowly analyzed. His brows condensed, “I only have one word of advice, even if the other party’s strength is enough to thoroughly crush you, you must never concede that easily! Under a situation in which you are bound to lose, try to make the opponent use up the greatest amount of energy possible, or even sustain injuries. That is how we’ll be able to win this competition! Win with dignity, and also allow the teammate behind you to have a greater chance of winning!”
“Understood!” The eleven participants at the rear voiced out, each of their expressions becoming unwaveringly determined.
“In addition, you must be cautious to not be knocked out of the arena. With that kind of loss, the other party would use up the least amount of energy. Similarly, that is also the most desirable way for you to win against your opponent.”
“Then I’ll go first!” Mu Family’s Mu Hengyi deeply roared.
As his voice fell, his entire person had already flown high in the air, then landed in the center of the arena. In the instant the tips of his feet landed, freezing-cold profound energy had already erupted from his body, as a current of ice-cold violent wind swept toward his surroundings. With a wave of his arm, an Ice Crystal Long Whip lashed out.
“Mu Family’s Mu Hengyi.”
It was only a short four words, but it was incredibly imposing.
“Oh, so you are the Mu Family’s Third Grand Elder’s young master Hengyi.” Duke Huai looked at Mu Hengyi with an admiring expression for a while, then turned to the side and said, “Who among you will come forward for the battle?”
No one responded to Duke Huai’s calling. The corner of his mouth slanted slightly, and said, “If no one would willingly come forward on their own, then this duke will make the selection. Zihuan, you will be the one to fight against the Mu Family’s Young Master Hengyi.”
As soon as Duke Huai spoke of the name “Zihuan”, the expression of everyone in the west wing changed altogether.
Duke Zihuan, a young duke from Duke Zhao’s Duke Palace, but this wasn’t his most notable title. His other identity was one of the “Illusory Demon Seven Scions” that were prestigious in the Illusory Demon Realm, and he was ranked fourth!!
Yun Qinghong’s guess was right. The first person that Duke Huai had sent forward was someone who wasn’t in the first tier, but was someone who definitely was not weak. Even though they had enough mental preparation, the faces of the dukes and patriarchs from each family still showed nervousness. Especially the people from the Mu Family, half of them immediately stood up.
Because Mu Hengyi, was definitely not a match for this Duke Zihuan… definitely not!
Just in terms of profound strength, Mu Hengyi was at the third level of the Tyrant Profound Realm, whereas Duke Zihuan was at the peak of the Tyrant Profound Realm’s fifth level! Among the many in the east wing, his strength was placed in the middle, but in the west wing, only Su Zhizhan could beat him.
At the lower stages of profound strength, a difference of one stage wouldn’t be too much, but once it reached the Tyrant Profound Realm, a difference of one stage would amount to an enormous disparity in skill. Even with the Yun Family’s powerful Profound Handle, it could only surpass one stage. Mu Hengyi and Duke Zihuan’s difference of two stages was something that could not be compensated. Moreover, Zihuan was not a normal level five Tyrant Profound Realm, he was at the peak of level five.
On top of that, Zihuan belonged to the Illusory Demon Royal Family. Even though his Demon Emperor’s bloodline was thin, it was still the blood of a divine beast. In terms of physique, he already greatly exceeded normal humans and demons.
So, Mu Hengyi would definitely lose this battle!
Duke Zihuan, whose name was called upon, was distracted for a second. Then, he stood up, gave Mu Hengyi a glance, and responded with an “Oh” in a feeble tone; he obviously looked unwilling to do so. He jumped up and entered the arena. He held his arms around his chest and gave Mu Hengyi a sideways glance. His eyes were filled with disdain, even a fool could see it clearly… It was obvious that he didn’t even take the competition in front of him seriously, and he was even somewhat upset at Duke Huai making him fight against someone who was this weak.
Duke Huai said slowly, “Zihuan, Hengyi is the grandson of the Mu Family’s Third Grand Elder, and is the number one in the Mu Family’s young generation. He is a strong opponent, you must not underestimate him. You must give him your best.”
“Oh, I got it.” Duke Zihuan still responded with a feeble tone. A profound formation flashed in his hand, and a blood-red long blade instantly appeared in his grasp. With its blade tip pointing at the ground, he put his other hand behind his back, then gave Mu Hengyi a twisted smile, “Um… oh, what was your name again… let’s hurry up and start this. Oh, you can go first, attack however you like.”
Even though Mu Hengyi’s expression didn’t change, his eyes almost shot out fire.
He himself knew that his profound strength could not compare to this Duke Zihuan, but he was still number one of the Mu Family’s young generation, and everyone in Demon Imperial City knew that he was the Mu Family’s third young master. He had never endured such contempt before!
His eyes showed disdain, his expression showed disdain, even what he said was filled with mockery and loathing.
Even if I can’t beat you… I must leave a scar on your neck!!
It was as if a volcano exploded within Mu Hengyi’s heart. He roared deeply as he swung his Ice Crystal Long Whip, and created countless ice crystals that could pierce through bone. They flew towards Duke Zihuan like a swarm of locusts in the sky. At the same time, a blue light flashed on his body. A layer of ice crystals formed on the surface of his body, and as his shadow swayed, it created a freezing-cold storm that headed straight towards Duke Zihuan, who hadn’t entered his fighting stance.
“Looks like Hengyi is completely enraged. He used ‘Frost Crystal Annihilation’ as soon as the fight started,” someone from the Mu Family said.
Yun Qinghong’s eyebrows fiercely jumped at this moment, and then he sighed helplessly, “Oh no!”
Standing there, Duke Zihuan, whose face expressed laziness, suddenly flashed with a split-second sneer. The hand that was at his back grabbed onto the handle as quick as lightning. His body that was originally not imposing at all, immediately burst with a strong aura of profound strength… the long blade in his hand shined with a bright, blood-red profound light.
The silence just now wasn’t because of underestimation and arrogance… he was quietly building up his power! And it exploded at this very second!
Because people from the Illusory Demon Royal Family possessed the Golden Crow’s bloodline, they had an incomparable gift when it came to cultivating fire attribute profound arts. Therefore, even though the dukes of Illusory Demon Royal Family didn’t have the right to cultivate the 《Golden Crow’s Record of the Burning World》 that was exclusive to Demon Emperors, they all cultivated fire attribute profound arts.
It was no different for Duke Zihuan.
The blade he wielded in his hand was named “Scarlet Blood” and the skill he executed was the “Blood Flame Strike” that all the Illusory Demon profound practitioners feared!!!
The Duke Zihuan before his eyes, who was previously as calm as lake water, suddenly became as ferocious as an oncoming tsunami. Since Mu Hengyi’s all-out attack was made in anger, added to the fact that he never expected the opponent who was obviously looking down on him to suddenly burst out with a fierce counterattack, there was no chance for him to avoid this strike, and he could only face the Scarlet Blood Blade straight on…
A scarlet, blood-red radiance flashed past the sky and the cool air became a vicious storm, as the ice crystals that filled the air quickly turned into the smallest of particles.
Bang!!
Mu Hengyi’s Frost Crystal Annihilation which bore great destructive powers was instantly torn apart. After that, the ice layer on the surface of his body was also cut open… The red beam continued onwards, and slashed onto his protective profound energy. A ball of red light burst mercilessly at that instant… and right now, a sneer appeared on Duke Zihuan’s face.
“Kid, what we want is not only to win, but to make you lose in the ugliest way possible!!”
A low, mocking whisper resounded in Mu Hengyi’s ears as he flew out of the battle arena with his body covered in shattered ice crystals and long streaks of bloodstains, crashing toward the Mu Family’s seats.
“Hengyi!!!”
A Mu Family member cried out in alarm. Mu Yubai quickly flew over, catching Mu Hengyi who had been sent flying while splattering blood.
A deep cut went from Mu Hengyi’s waist all the way to the position of his heart. It was a foot long, so deep that even his internal organs could be seen.
“Hengyi!!”
“Hengyi, are you alright…”
“Quick!! Quick, bring the medicine!”
Mu Family’s members quickly gathered at Mu Hengyi’s side. Several Great Elders evenly channeled profound energy, sealing his wound. Mu Hengyi unwaveringly gritted his teeth, not uttering the slightest of screams, but his complexion was as white as paper. He gasped heavily, looked at Mu Yubai and Mu Feiyan, and said in shame, “Patriarch… Hengyi is useless… lost… so unsightly… lost… our clan’s… face…”
Everyone knew that Mu Hengyi would lose, but no one would ever think that he would actually lose this fast.
Instant defeat… a completely unexaggerated instant defeat!!
Even though there was a large disparity between the strengths of Mu Hengyi and Duke Zihuan, an all-out reaction should not have caused such a tragic defeat. However, the other party’s strength was obviously an absolute advantage, yet he still used such an act of contempt and ridicule to anger Mu Hengyi, causing him to lose his cautiousness. As for Duke Zihuan’s disdainful appearance, he was actually already maneuvering the energy in his body in secret… In an all-out direct collision, how could a level three Tyrant Profound Realm defeat a peak level five Tyrant Profound Realm, moreover, against an Illusory Demon’s duke who held an absolute advantage in terms of innate talent?!
Not only was Mu Hengyi instantly defeated, he didn’t even cause the other party the slightest bit of injury, and the amount of power the other party used was also very small.
Number One Under Heaven flew to Mu Hengyi’s side and injected his elven powers. Soon after, Mu Hengyi’s cut stopped aching.
Mu Feiyan’s chest heavily heaved. He didn’t blame Mu Hengyi, and instead said with a heavy expression, “Your loss was indeed unsightly, and losing this match is of no value… However, to you, this match has great worth! Because luckily, you are not against your mortal enemy this time, otherwise, you wouldn’t have ended up just being simply injured and defeated! Properly reflect on why you have lost this shamefully. Once you realize it, you would be able to live longer next time!”
“Yes…” Mu Hengyi closed his eyes, and said in shame, “It was I… who let my guard down… because of the opponent’s provocation… I will remember this lesson for my entire lifetime…”
“Alright, close your eyes and rest now. If you have something to say, say it when you’ve recovered from your injuries.” After Mu Yubai finished speaking, he turned around, and icily gazed at Duke Zihuan.
“Cough, didn’t expect Brother Hengyi’s body to be this weak. This humble duke merely hit him once, and he was injured this seriously. If I knew beforehand, I would have only used half of the strength just now.” Duke Zihuan acted as if he was blaming himself, “Senior Mu, during the competition, injuries cannot be avoided. You won’t give this humble duke a hard time because of this, right?”
No one could be held responsible for the wounds from a sparring competition. Moreover, it took place in Demon Imperial Hall with everyone watching. Mu Yubai knew for sure that even if he intentionally maimed Mu Hengyi, he couldn’t say anything about it. He scoffed, and didn’t say half a word to Duke Zihuan, turning his gaze towards Yun Qinghong.
They could already tell, not only did Duke Huai’s side want to beat them, they wanted to make them lose in the most awful, miserable, ugly way possible, and step all over their dignity and pride.
Chapter 548 - Four Consecutive Defeats
“Wen Ji, you’re up!” Yun Qinghong said after he pondered in silence for a while.
“Ah… me?” Behind Yun Qinghong, a callow youth dressed in the attire of the Duke Palaces pointed at himself as he wore a lost and panicked look on his face.
Wen Ji was the son of Duke Xu, and his talent and strength were both uncommon. But taking account his profound strength at the second level of the Tyrant Profound Realm at the age of twenty-nine, he would be labelled as a bottom-feeder among the creme de la creme of the Illusory Demon Realm’s young elites that were gathered here… Even among the west wing, which was much weaker than the east wing, he was still at the bottom.
In the first round, Mu Hengyi had already suffered a crippling defeat at the hands of Zihuan. So for the second round, it stood to reason that a person who was sufficient to challenge Duke Zihuan should step up to the plate, because even if that person could not win, that person would still be able to retain some dignity in defeat. And if Wen Ji were to face an opponent who had completely dominated Mu Hengyi, he would only lose in a more spectacular fashion.
“Yes. Wen Ji, you’ll be the one taking the second round.” Yun Qinghong turned to face him and declared with sunken brows, “The one you are about to face is indeed an opponent that is hard for you to fight, but as both of you are dukes of the Illusory Demon Royal Family, even if you lose in battle, you would have simply lost in power. However, you cannot lose your fighting spirit even before you have not even lost yet.”
Wen Ji ground his teeth together and quickly regained his equilibrium. He simply stated, “Understood!”
“Even though you and Zihuan are separated by three levels, the two of you are still both Overlords. Even if he wins, he will still have to exert himself. Your goal is to exhaust as much of his profound energy as you can… Remember, concentrate thirty percent of your power on offense and the rest on defense and when you attack, only target his vitals when you are confident of delivering a critical strike. Also, no matter what he says, you must always maintain your cool! If you can do all of the above, then this match can be counted as a win.”
“I understand!” Wen Ji nodded his head vigorously and flew into the air to land inside the arena.
“Duke Xu Palace’s Wen Ji, please give me your guidance.”
“Ah, so it is Brother Wen Ji.” Duke Zihuan said as he narrowed his eyes and smiled, “It really looks like your side can’t find any proper candidates, because they actually sent you out as well. Ah, even I am filled with pity for you right now.”
Wen Ji, “….”
Duke Zihuan extended his finger towards him and beckoned him with an incomparably contemptuous crook of that finger, “Come, feel free to attack whenever you want. Because if I can’t subdue an amateur like you in ten moves, then I won’t have any face to continue living in this Demon Imperial City.”
Any member of the Illusory Demon Royal Family were individuals exalted above all others, so they would never have faced such humiliation before. So Wen Ji clenched both his fists tightly, he almost lost himself to rage, but he quickly recalled Yun Qinghong’s advice. There was a quick intake of breath as he sought to swiftly calm himself down, and after that, he did not speak as he planted both feet on the ground. A golden spear then appeared in his hands. As it pierced towards Duke Zihuan’s chest, it produced a golden afterimage; at the same time, his domain was opened at full strength.
“Explosive Flame Domain!!”
A deep red flame was concentrated at the tip of the golden spear as the gigantic energy of the domain suddenly explosively swelled up like a tsunami, amplifying the power of the spear as it streaked towards Duke Zihuan’s body… Scarlet flames might have been the lowest form of profound fire, but the scarlet flames used by the Illusory Demon Royal Family was the lowest form of the Golden Crow’s Flames and its strength was far superior to even the regular deep purple profound flames.
“See how this duke will shatter your lousy spear!”
Duke Zihuan roared out arrogantly as he swung his Scarlet Blood Blade, instantly producing seven blood-colored blade beams. These extremely sharp blades beams carried a scorching heat and easily tore Wen Ji’s domain apart. The sound of the blades splitting air was akin to a blade being scratched over glass; it was extremely ear-piercing.
At this time, the golden spear that was streaking towards Zihuan suddenly slowed down and after a violent shudder, it was instantly displaced. Four of Duke Zihuan’s blade beams that shot out of his Blood Blade struck empty air, but the other three clashed with the tip of Wen Ji’s spear. After a chaotic and ear-piercing shattering sound, the three energy blades were completely neutralized and Wen Ji was pushed ten steps back by the ensuing impact.
“Mn?” Zihuan’s eyebrows twitched, then let out a cold laugh. His body blurred and his blade danced like a dragon as he instantly unleashed a lightning quick slash at Wen Ji.
“True Flame Shield!!”
Bang!!
The Scarlet Blood Blade made contact with the flame vortex that suddenly materialized in front of Wen Ji, but it only took a breath for this flame vortex to be torn. With the flashing of two blood-colored flashes, the flame vortex completely disappeared. As the Scarlet Blood Blade plunged straight through, it smashed into Wen Ji’s golden spear with a resounding clash.
A heavy ring resounded in the air and Wen Ji’s body swayed as blood leaked out from the corner of his mouth. However, he stubbornly endured and did not retreat. The Scarlet Blood Blade had cut half an inch into the golden spear he had infused all of his might into, but it was still very far from cutting it apart.
Zihuan had arrogantly yelled that he wanted to shatter Wen Ji’s spear, but after five strikes, Wen Ji still managed to hang on… Wen Ji initially looked as if he had poured all his strength into a fierce assault, but he suddenly switched positions, avoiding Zihuan’s attacks and reverted from defense to attack as quickly as he possibly could. Even though he had been injured, he had yet to retreat a single step.
Zihuan’s eyes narrowed and he yelled in a low voice, “You punk, collapse!”
The flames on the Scarlet Blood Blade suddenly flashed and an enormous energy exploded outwards as Zihuan put all of his strength into this strike. Wen Ji’s face paled and his body was blown backwards, but Zihuan’s blade followed after like a striking viper. In a short space of time, three streaks of thick, eye-piercing blood-colored blade beams flew out.
Clang!! Clang!! Scree!!
After enduring the second blade beam, the golden spear finally flew out of Wen Ji’s hand. The third blade beam slashed into his chest, cutting apart the profound energy shielding his body and the breastplate wrapped around his chest… But after it had cut through both the profound energy and the armor, the Scarlet Blood Blade had no more power. Wen Ji flew through the air, but he managed to land solidly on his feet, and underneath the broken breastplate, his chest only had one thin red line drawn across it.
Wen Ji made a gesture with his hand and the golden spear was recalled into his hand. He wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and chuckled, “It has already been eight moves.”
Even though he had been beaten like a dog and only had the power to defend than attack, he had managed to solidly resist the attacks of the Zihuan who was three levels stronger than him in profound strength… And especially those last three blows, they were executed using Zihuan’s full strength.
And the boast that Wen Ji would be beaten down in ten moves was yelled out for all to hear by Zihuan himself. So if he could not win in ten moves, he would undoubtedly have slapped his own face.
“This bastard…” Duke Zihuan ground his teeth silently, but gave off an air of disdain, “This duke was merely showing you mercy just now because I did not want you to lose in too ugly a manner. Did you really think that you are worthy to grace this duke’s Scarlet Blood Blade for so long?!”
Duke Zihuan’s eyes gained a fierce focus. He suddenly let out a low roar as the bloody light on the blade suddenly exploded forth. In an instant, Wen Ji’s already unstable domain was directly shorn into two halves.
The profound art that Zihuan cultivated was the Blood Flame Blade and the weapon he used was also the blood-red Scarlet Blood Blade. Even his energy blades were blood-colored, and it was to the extent that even the flames that he released materialized as blood flames. After his profound energy had suddenly flared up and exploded, the air within a hundred meter radius of him was covered in blood-colored ripples of energy, and the entire arena seemed to be covered with a layer of dull-colored blood.
The complexion of Wen Ji, who was the closest to Zihuan, suddenly changed. He doggedly gritted his teeth and positioned the golden spear in front of him.
Duke Zihuan let out a deep, low yell as he raised the Scarlet Blood Blade horizontally across… And the aura of his blade was sufficient enough to manifest an astonishing power so it definitely had exhausted a suitably large amount of energy. But in order to defeat Wen Ji in two moves, he had no choice but to pay the price… the big words had already been spoken, so he had to defeat Wen Ji with this attack, no matter what.
“Nether Flame Strike!!”
Duke Zihuan yelled out as the Scarlet Blood Blade lashed out and in an instant energy blades crazily flew out as they enshrouded the entire area and rended it asunder.
Facing the blade beams and blood flames which seemed to cover the sky, Wen Ji heightened his focus to the extreme. With a loud yell, he retreated as swiftly as he could while concentrating all the profound energy he could muster into the golden spear. The golden spear began rotating rapidly and formed a giant flame barrier.
Bang!!
It was as if a blood lotus had bloomed in midair, and below the blood lotus, the Scarlet Blood Blade fiercely clashed together with the golden spear. The power of both the Overlords surged wildly as it erupted forth and a thirty-three meter wide curtain of flames spread at the center of the Demon Imperial Hall.
Wen Ji’s flame domain had completely dissipated and his entire body flew out from within the curtain of flames along with his golden spear, heavily falling onto the ground. It was only after he tumbled and rolled on the ground many times that he was able to force himself up to his feet. But blood was flowing rapidly from one of his arms and he had ended up outside of the arena.
“Wen Ji, you have lost. You may withdraw.” The Little Demon Empress declared expressionlessly.
As her voice fell, the people from Duke Xu Palace had already flown to Wen Ji’s side, and they carried him back to their seats. At the same time, they excitedly praised him, “You actually forced Duke Zihuan to use the Nether Flame Strike… Young duke, you put up a good fight.”
“Heh…” Wen Ji managed to croak out a laugh. After which he closed his eyes and promptly fainted dead away.
“This punk actually wasted so much of this duke’s energy.” After the Nether Flame Strike had been used, Duke Zihuan began to show faint signs of strain, but he could not blame anyone else, he could only blame himself for boasting too recklessly. And it was at this moment that a fierce sword wind suddenly descended from above.
“Duke Xi Palace’s Zi Feng, please give me your guidance!!”
Duke Zihuan was about to reply, but Zi Feng did not even give him an opportunity to open his mouth. What came at him instead was a series of rapid attacks that consisted of fierce flames and sword shadows. Zihuan had just used a huge skill so he suffered from a temporary deficit of profound energy. Under these series of rapid strikes, he hurriedly retreated from his opponent in a fluster. But in the end, he was still the one who was ranked fourth among the Illusory Demon Seven Scions. Moreover, the other party only had a profound strength at the third level of the Tyrant Profound Realm. His profound energy swiftly surged forward and the bloody light of the Scarlet Blood Blade radiated out, “Trash like you wants to win against this duke? Keep dreaming!!”
Bang-bang-bang-bang-bang!!
He chained together five strokes of his blade and a huge blood-colored wave of fire was blasted out. Zi Feng teetered on the edge of the arena as he was pushed all the way back, but he lifted his sword and charged forward once more as he fearlessly clashed swords with Zihuan. Twenty clashes later, he was inevitably sent flying nearly one hundred meters by Zihuan’s blade and vomited three arrows of blood in succession. He wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and raised his sword anew. He let out a wild yell, and thrusted directly towards Zihuan as the howl of his sword caused the entire Demon Imperial Hall to vibrate.
“Rainbow Rend!!”
It was as if a meteor had drawn itself across the space in the Imperial Demon Hall and even the ones in the corners of the hall could feel a shocking sword intent. Facing Zi Feng’s sword strike, Duke Zihuan let out a wild and arrogant shout. He did not dodge or duck, an instead, took it head on…
“Phantom Flame StrikeBlade!!”
Bloody light and sword shadows clashed chaotically, but the bloody light suddenly flashed, passing through layers of sword shadows and cut across Zi Feng’s body.
Zi Feng gave out a low moan and his long sword flew out of his hand as his entire person flew out as well as he landed in the seats which were more than six hundred and fifty meters away.
“Zi Feng has lost, it is still Zihuan who is victorious!” The Little Demon Empress said with furrowed brows.
Within the east wing, Zihuan’s ability was only in the middle of the pack, but the three people who had been sent forth from the west wing had all fallen under his blade! The expressions of all the people who were seated in the west wing had become uglier and uglier, and at this time, a person from the Duke Palaces flew up into the air and sent a blast of fierce fire towards Zihuan.
“Duke Gu Palace’s Cheng Yang, take this!!”
The fourth representative presented himself thusly and greeted Duke Zihuan with a fierce assault.
Flames clashed and profound energy rumbled, as the middle of the great hall was filled with endless explosions and roars of power. The two opponents clashed fiercely for tens of rounds, but following the explosion of a cluster of blood flames, Cheng Yang directly fainted due to his serious injuries.
The fourth representative of the west wing… had lost yet again!!
Chapter 549 - “Mutual Destruction”
The overall strength of the east wing was far stronger than that of the west wing. This was something that everyone knew. But no one thought that the west wing would lose this badly as soon as they got on the stage. The four people that went up there all lost miserably, and the other side only sent out Duke Zihuan, who was still in the arena. He was sweating and panting deeply, but aside from that, only his armor was slightly damaged, and there was no trace of bloodstains on him at all.
The four consecutive wins just now, apparently wasn’t too difficult!
And in the entire east wing, there were more people whose strengths were on par with that of Duke Zihuan, such as Chiyang Yanwu, Bai Jie, Lin Hanchuan, and people who were even stronger than him, such as Helian Ba, the Illusory Demon Seven Scions’ third rank Duke Hui Ye, second rank Duke Yuan Que… and, the one who had already exceeded the others of the young generation, whose power was so terrifying it was abnormal, the head of the Illusory Demon Seven Scions —— Hui Ran!!
This battle, how could it continue to proceed?
Within the west wing, those who originally held the attitude that losing was okay but would absolutely not yield, were heavily influenced at this moment in their heart and mind, and a deep sense of helplessness and desolation emerged.
“Who’s next? Who’s next to battle?”
Duke Zihuan swung his Scarlet Blood Blade, faced the west wing, and yelled insolently. He had really stolen the spotlight today after consecutively defeating the other party’s Guardian Family’s number one and three top-skilled dukes from the same generation as him.
“A four-loss streak, that’s pretty rough,” Yun Che frowned and whispered.
“Mu Hengyi was instantly defeated because he was careless. There was too much difference between the strengths of the three young dukes just now and their opponent, so it was certain that they would lose. However, this Duke Zihuan’s profound strength is already exhausted by over sixty percent, hopefully we can win the next battle,” Yun Qinghong said calmly.
“Patriarch Yun, let me fight this round,” said Yan Family’s Yan Chengkong as he came forward. With four straight losses, there was no doubt that the fifth challenger would have to bear enormous pressure. Because if the west wing lost again, then it would be extremely humiliating, and it would have a huge negative impact to their own reputation. But Yan Chengkong, who was also at the third level of the Tyrant Profound Realm, requested to fight by his own will… Yun Che couldn’t help but give him another look.
The Yan Family’s strength was at the bottom of the Twelve Families, and Yan Chengkong’s strength was also on the bottom of the geniuses in the Twelve Families, but in him, righteousness and assuredness that was inconsistent with his age was revealed.
Yun Qinghong moved his brows and said, “Even though this Zihuan has defeated four of our people consecutively, his energy consumption wasn’t that great… be cautious.”
“Mn,” Yan Chengkong shook his head heavily, and answered with a simple syllable. He then he flew up and landed in the arena.
“Yan Family’s Yan Chengkong, may Duke Zihuan enlighten me!” Yan Chengkong didn’t attack immediately, and instead greeted him graciously.
“Oh, so it’s the Yan Family’s young patriarch.” Duke Zihuan won four battles consecutively, and the arrogance in his heart had been magnified countless times. He took a look at Yan Chengkong, and suddenly burst into laughter, “Hahahaha! This duke thought a decent competitor has finally shown up, but I didn’t expect it would be the Yan Family’s young patriarch, and he’s only a pitiful Tyrant Profound level three. Tsk, tsk, the Yan Family has been at the bottom of the Twelve Families for ten thousand years, but didn’t seem to be too far behind. How come, with your generation, it became this miserable? Looks like the Yan Family is doomed as well.”
“Presumptuous!!”
As soon as Duke Zihuan finished speaking, a shout as loud as a clap of thunder rung, and it shocked Duke Zihuan, making his whole body shudder. His sight went dark, and he almost spat blood. The Little Demon Empress slammed on the armrest of her throne heavily. Her eyebrows, which were shaped like new moons, slanted, and her freezing-cold eyes stared directly at Duke Zihuan. It made his whole body come to a stop. It was as if he was frozen, and he didn’t dare to move at all.
“The Yan Family has guarded my Demon Emperor’s bloodline for ten thousand years. They are loyal, devoted and achieved numerous meritorious contributions. The generations of previous Demon Emperors all respected and valued the Yan Family. You are merely a tiny junior from one of the Duke Palaces, how dare you speak such nonsensical words towards the Yan Family. Who gave you the courage!!”
Duke Zihuan was one of the Illusory Demon Seven Scions, and he had the power enough to look down upon all of the others in his generation, but how could he withstand the anger and momentum of the Little Demon Empress? He was frightened, and his face immediately paled. His body was shaky, and he almost knelt down on the spot.
Within the east wing, Duke Zihuan’s father Duke Zhao hurriedly stood up, bowed and said, “May the Little Demon Empress’s rage subside. My son was merely trying to lower his opponent’s morale, and made an indiscreet remark. He absolutely did not have the intention of disrespecting the Yan Family… Zihuan, hurry up and apologize to the Little Demon Empress and the Yan Family!”
Duke Zihuan promptly said, “Zihuan made an indiscreet remark, and said something I shouldn’t have said. May the Little Demon Empress and everyone from the Yan Family forgive me.”
With four straight losses for the west wing, the Little Demon Empress’ mood naturally wasn’t good. She scoffed softly and her rage finally settled a little, but she didn’t say anything in response as she sat back to her throne and gazed at the center of the arena coldly.
That burst of pressure that was heavy as a mountain finally disappeared. Duke Zihuan was secretly relieved. It was just then that he realized his whole body was covered in cold, wet sweat.
However, Yan Chengkong obviously couldn’t forgive him so easily. He looked calm and peaceful, but his eyes were full of anger. He grabbed his Heavy Profound Spear, pointed the tip at Zihuan’s throat, and said slowly, “Solely based on what you have just said… I bet my, Yan Chengkong’s, lifetime of dignity and honor. Today, I must defeat you under my Yan Family’s Imperious Spear!”
“You?” Duke Zihuan sneered, and said in an extremely deep voice, “Even though I only have forty percent of my strength right now, even if I only had twenty percent left, I could easily step all over you! I will not mention what will happen to your Yan Family, but you, Yan Chengkong, heh, the so-called Yan Family’s ‘number one genius’ of this generation, in the eyes of this duke, you have always been complete trash!”
Yan Chengkong was not angry at all. Instead he sneered and said, “Looks like you have never fought against people from our Yan Family. Even though the level of profound energy of our Yan Family has always been the lowest of the Twelve Families, that is because for generations, our family cultivated our profound energy second, and focused cultivating spears first! Our Yan Family’s greatest pride and wealth is not our family’s profound art, but our Imperious Spear! You will soon know how you’ll end up if you underestimate our Yan Family!!”
“We’re not called the number one Divine Spear Clan of the Illusory Demon Realm… for nothing!!”
Yan Chengkong’s glare became as sharp as the tip of his spear. He swung his arms, and his silver Heavy Profound Spear burst out with lightning speed, like thorns. At that instant, a wave of violent wind swirled up with a sharp roaring sound.
Facing Yan Chengkong’s spear, Duke Zihuan gave a face of disdain. The profound energy of his Scarlet Blood Blade rippled, and he let out a fierce slash accompanied by a blood-red light.
Clang!!
The weapons collided and the deafening sound of metal rang in the hall. Although Duke Zihuan had exhausted half of his strength, in terms of profound energy density, his was still largely above that of Yan Chengkong. Yan Chengkong’s Heavy Profound Spear was reflected off directly and slightly bent by his Scarlet Blood Blade. The corner of Duke Zihuan’s mouth slanted, but before he could make a sneer, the Heavy Profound Spear that was bounced out of the way and bent became like a boneless snake, then pierced directly towards his heart at an unusual angle.
What?!
Duke Zihuan’s heart stuttered as he quickly withdrew. His avoidance was extremely swift, but he was still grazed by the Heavy Profound Spear. He could clearly feel his protective profound energy being severely torn, and it made an extremely harsh ripping sound.
Yan Chengkong’s dominating momentum burst completely at this moment. The Heavy Profound Spear in his hand became like a flexible demon snake. It danced in the sky, filling it with multiple spear shadows, and trapped Duke Zihuan within them. Every prick, smash, thrust, and slash… was all flawlessly on the spot, aimed directly at Duke Zihuan’s weak points and vital spots.
“Good spear technique!” Yun Che exclaimed as he leaned forward. He couldn’t help but be impressed.
Yun Qinghong nodded slowly and said, “It is said, months for staves, years for punches, yet decades to learn spears. The art of the spear is difficult to train and master. If you don’t put in enough hard work, it would be hard to have even a small achievement. The Yan Family is hailed as Illusory Demon Realm’s number one Divine Spear Clan. Their clan’s spear tactics are unpredictable. It could be said that they exerted the power of the spear to the max. Once they are able to handle it effortlessly, they could sweep through everyone under heaven, and even ten thousand soldiers cannot compare to them. They absolutely live up to the name of number one Divine Spear Clan. Even though Yan Chengkong’s profound strength is weaker in comparison, in terms of his skill in the Imperious Spear Arts, he has already entered the highest mastery! Among others of the same level, it is hard for him to meet a worthy foe. With Zihuan’s current state, he can easily win against another peak-level Tyrant Profound Realm, but it is extremely hard for him to win against Yan Chengkong, who is only a mid-stage third level Tyrant Profound Realm.”
The whizzing sound of the spear and the sound of the wind from the spear were piercingly sharp. Duke Zihuan kept increasing his profound energy. The bones in his entire body were making cracking sounds from him using his full power, as he deflected Yan Chengkong’s attacks one after another… but it was only deflecting. He didn’t have a chance to fight back, and the tip of the spear had already roared towards him once again. Just based on the weapon’s characteristics, the spear’s power and range of attack was better than a blade, but the flexibility, speed, and maneuverability were inferior to that of a blade. However, at this moment, the spear shrouding over Duke Zihuan was swift as lightning, and as flexible as a living thing. It forced him several times into a frenzied state.
One had the advantage in profound strength, the other had skills in draconic divine spear techniques. The two of them originally had a large level difference in profound strength, but now they were stalemated in the arena. The weapons collided countless times; space was disturbed for an extended time and it continuously rippled. As the audience in the great hall looked upon this scene, the fight was distorted the whole time. Duke Zihuan couldn’t get rid of Yan Chengkong’s spear shadows throughout the fight, and for the time being, Yan Chengkong also couldn’t really hurt Duke Zihuan.
Among all the Duke Palaces, there were also many who used spears, and Duke Zihuan had gone against many who used a spear as a weapon, but he hadn’t fought against anyone from the Yan Family. He’d never thought the power of the Yan Family’s Imperious Spear was this astonishing. The Heavy Profound Spear in Yan Chengkong’s hands attacked and defended freely according to his will. When he attacked, his spear sprung like the wind and clouds, with its momentum able to swallow mountains and rivers. It made the duke’s movements all seem sluggish, as it suppressed both his blade and flame. When Yan Chengkong defended, it was like placing an iron chain across the river, it was impervious.
The two of them exchanged over a hundred blows, but none of them could do anything to the other. Yan Chengkong was calm and steady throughout, but Duke Zihuan was getting impatient. Before the battle, he mocked Yan Chengkong harshly, even insulted the whole Yan Family, got scolded seriously by the Little Demon Empress, and was humiliated hard. Now, after a hundred exchanges, he still wasn’t able to defeat this person whom he had ridiculed in front of everyone. Instead, he was being suppressed, and he was extremely aggrieved and furious.
Duke Zihuan gritted his teeth, and suddenly roared deeply. The light on his Scarlet Blood Blade intensified, making a fierce ripping sound, tearing up the space… This strike was exactly the same “Blood Flame Strike” that defeated Mu Hengyi before, but because he had already exhausted much of his profound strength, the power of the “Blood Flame Strike” was far weaker than when it defeated Mu Hengyi.
A terrifying force headed towards Yan Chengkong, as he positioned his spear horizontally and entered a defensive stance, causing the power of the Blood Flame Strike to be decreased by seventy percent. At this moment, his eyes were flickering in the attack’s brilliance, but he didn’t retreat and disarm the thirty percent power left of the Blood Flame Strike. Instead, he turned the body of his spear, let the blood-colored reflection of the blade graze his waist, and the Heavy Profound Spear became like a dragon flying out of the seas. It created an unstoppable profound energy storm that passed through the Blood Flame Blade, and stabbed Duke Zihuan viciously on the shoulder… The instant the tip of the spear touched his shoulder, all of the power immediately collected at the spear tip, and passed straight through Duke Zihuan’s protective profound energy and armor.
Pfft!
A splash of blood splattered out from Yan Chengkong’s waist, and the tip of the Heavy Profound Spear was stabbed deep into Duke Zihuan’s shoulder, stuck in between his shoulder blades.
A sense of pain came from his left shoulder, and it, along with the feeling of humiliation, stimulated Duke Zihuan’s ferocious personality. His eyes widened and emitted a radiance of craziness, “Go… to hell!!”
Duke Zihuan’s whole body instantly started burning in blood-red flames, as if he just walked out of a pool of blood… Watching his movements, the Yan Family’s Patriarch, Yan Zijing, was shocked and became pale. He yelled loudly, “Kong’er, dodge it, quick!!”
“Blood Cage Nether Flame!!”
The blood-red flames suddenly burst open, and a terrifying aura shrouded Yan Chengkong as his pupils shrank, but he didn’t choose to abandon his spear and retreat. Instead, he gritted his teeth, and poured all the profound energy he had into the Heavy Profound Spear… The next second, it was as if his chest had been slammed with ten thousand sledgehammers, as he instantly lost consciousness.
Boom!!!
The blood flame exploded, and Yan Chengkong was thrown out backwards into the distance. When he was caught by Yan Zijing in the air, his chest was already torn and bloody. But Yan Chengkong wasn’t the only one who was thrown out backwards in the blood flame. In the instant that the blood flame exploded, the Heavy Profound Spear that Yan Chengkong poured the last of his powers into, pierced directly through Duke Zihuan’s shoulder, and poked open a real, transparent hole. The rest of his power pounded Duke Zihuan high up in the air, causing him to crash into the east wing with his blood sprinkling all over… That Heavy Profound Spear fiercely pierced the seats in the east wing, without any hint of blood on its surface.
“Chengkong!”
“Zihuan!”
Both sides were extremely shocked. None of them thought that the two of them who were originally at stalemate would meet such a tragic outcome in a single instant. To ignite those streaks of blood flames, Duke Zihuan did not hesitate to exhaust his entire body’s profound strength, and his body was pierced through with a transparent hole. It was impossible for him to continue fighting. But Yan Chengkong was no better than him; the front of his flesh was all torn, and his internal organs were all shifted. If it weren’t for his strong willpower, he would have been unconscious already. However, it was impossible for him to continue fighting.
This battle, Yan Chengkong and Duke Zihuan had achieved “mutual destruction”.
“Brothers of the Under Heaven Clan, thank you for your help!” Facing the heavily injured Yan Chengkong, Yan Zijing was fairly calm.
“Don’t worry, with us here, your son will definitely be alright,” two Elders from the Under Heaven Clan said as they nodded. They reached out their palms, and a dark green light shrouded Yan Chengkong’s wounds.
Under the natural healing power of the elven race, even though Yan Chengkong’s injuries were serious, they quickly stabilized. He took a deep breath, and said with shame, “Father, your child’s cultivation was too immature… I let you down…”
“Don’t blame yourself.” Yan Zijing said reassuringly, “After all, Zihuan is ranked fourth in the Illusory Demon Seven Scions. There’s a huge gap between you and him. To have such a result, Father is already very proud of you. Concentrate and calm down now, don’t talk anymore.”
Duke Zihuan was finally defeated, but none of the expressions on anyone from the west wing eased up in the slightest. Because it took five people for them just to beat Duke Zihuan.
“Sigh, the difference in strength between the two sides is too great.” Many in the hall were sighing.
“Yes, I don’t understand why the Yun Family accepted the challenge… Even though they would rather lose the battle than lose their dignity, when losing this miserably, what dignity is left?”
“There’s also a Su Family. I heard that Su Zhizhan from the Su Family is one of the best in the Twelve Families’ young generations. He should be able to recover some disadvantages.”
“Come on, Helian Ba from the Helian Family, second and third rankers of the Illusory Demon Seven Scions Duke Hui Ye and Duke Yuan Que, none of them are weaker than Su Zhizhan. And first rank Duke Hui Ran… it’s not exaggerated at all to say that just his strength alone is enough to beat the twelve people from the other party single-handedly!” a citizen of Demon Imperial City stated while he shook his head.
Chapter 550 - Zhizhan’s Last Stand
Clap, clap, clap…
Duke Huai stood up as he clapped and he said while laughing, “Marvelous, that was truly a marvelous battle. I would never have thought that in this series of contests, there would actually be a scenario where both contestants would defeat each other. It is truly exciting to the point where this duke simply could not have imagined it. However…”
Duke Huai looked directly at Yun Qinghong and laughed, “Are you sure your side still wants to continue? You have gone through roughly half of your representatives just to take down one of ours. This result is truly regrettable and this duke simply does not feel at ease continuing this contest any longer. However, from this duke’s understanding of Patriarch Yun, no matter how ugly Patriarch Yun’s loss turns out to be, he will still resolutely soldier on, correct?”
“Hahahaha,” Yun Qinghong also started laughing, “Duke Huai, you truly understand this Yun well. However, your words are seriously puerile and ridiculous. Our contest has merely just begun, but you have already asserted that we have lost. Isn’t it a bit too early to say that?!”
“Hahaha!” Duke Huai let out three great laughs, “Ah this truly sounds like the words that you, Yun Qinghong, would say! Then let this duke clearly see where your confidence comes from, Yun Qinghong! But what this duke really wants to see is how much longer your arrogance can last… Wen Bo, you are our side’s second representative, so you’re up next.”
The words “second representative” was heavily emphasized by Duke Huai and the mockery in his tone could be heard by all. As his voice fall, a tall and big young man flew up in the air and landed in the arena.
Illusory Demon Seven Scions’ rank five —— Duke Wen Bo! And just like Duke Zihuan before him, he was also at the Tyrant Profound Realm level five.
And from the west wing, another person immediately took the air as well and he landed in front of Duke Wen Bo. This person was also the strongest person sent out by the west wing so far —— Also amongst the Illusory Demon Seven Scions, the sixth ranked Duke Yong Yi!
Both people belonged to the Illusory Demon Royal Family and both of them were also part of the Illusory Demon Seven Scions, so their strengths were not far apart. This was in addition to the fact that they had often dueled many times and had also gotten used to each other’s Golden Crow Flames and profound arts. So the battle between the two of them was exceptionally ferocious as they fell into a stalemate, and it was only after thirty minutes of battle that the winner was finally decided… Duke Wen Bo barely scraped a victory while Duke Yong Yi fell in defeat!
The west wing lost once again! And they were caught in the miserable scenario where they were at five losses and one draw.
Even though Duke Wen Bo had won, all of his moves and hidden cards had been played. He had sustained many wounds in battle, and his profound energy had been greatly exhausted. So in the seventh contest that followed, he fell to a young duke from the west wing who still found him rather challenging.
The eighth match: West wing’s Duke He Song versus the Lin Family’s Lin Hanchuan —— It was Lin Hanchuan’s complete victory!
The ninth match: West wing’s Duke Jia Rong versus the Lin Family’s Lin Hanchuan —— Lin Hanchuan wins yet again!
At this point, the west wing where the Yun Family was at had a record of one win, one draw and seven losses! And there were only four people left who were still eligible for battle.
The tenth match: Illusory Demon Seven Scions’ rank seven: Duke Yu Palace’s Duke Ying Nan versus Lin Hanchuan —— Duke Ying Nan wins!
The eleventh match: Duke Ying Nan versus Nangong Family’s Nangong Yan —— Duke Ying Nan achieved a pyrrhic victory. And while the west wing had finally won two consecutive victories for the first time after their last two fights, not a single person from the west wing had an expression of joy on their face. Even though Ying Nan had won, he had completely exhausted his strength, so he was bound to lose the following match. And at that time, the west wing would be down to three people, while the other side would still have eight. Moreover, the other side’s elite four had not even shown their faces yet.
The twelfth match: Duke Ying Nan versus Bai Family’s Bai Jie —— It was undoubtedly Bai Jie’s complete victory!
The west wing was only left with three competitors: Su Zhizhan, Number Six Under Heaven and the Yun Family’s unknown representative.
In the thirteenth match, Number Six Under Heaven took the stage. The elven race possessed the strong ability to use profound bows while having abundant innate talent, but the nature of their profound energy determined that their attack power would not be too high. Moreover, as contests of this nature took place within a confined boundary of an arena, the strength of their profound bows would also be greatly restricted. So once it was Number Six Under Heaven’s turn, he would be subject to an immediate and irreversible disadvantage and despite struggling bitterly, the miracle of the weaker triumphing over the stronger did not occur. He was defeated by Bai Jie.
So far, the two sides had fought thirteen matches and the west wing had lost ten representatives while the east side had lost a mere four. And besides Bai Jie, who was currently representing the east, they still had seven other young elites who had yet to battle. Among these young elites were the Xiao Family’s Xiao Donglai and the Jiufang Family’s Jiufang Yu who were at the Tyrant Profound Realm level four, the Chiyang Family’s Chiyang Yanwu who was at the Tyrant Profound Realm level five, the Helian Family’s Helian Ba who was at the Tyrant Profound Realm level six and the ones ranked number two and number three among the Illusory Demon Seven Scions, Duke Yuan Qiao and Duke Hui Ye who were also at the Tyrant Profound Realm level six.
There was still even the head of the Illusory Demon Seven Scions, Hui Ran, whose profound strength had actually reached the astonishing level of Tyrant Profound Realm level eight!
The other side was only left with Su Zhizhan who was at the Tyrant Profound Realm level six. As for the Yun Family, they did not even have any proper candidates to send out because among their young generation, the strongest was only at the Tyrant Profound Realm level two.
This contest between both sides did not have any suspense even from the start and no one felt that the current scenario was the least bit odd. In fact, everyone felt that the side the Yun Family was on had just lost in a much too miserable fashion.
The various great powers within Demon Imperial City gave silent sigh. This was only a competition between the young generation of both factions, and even though it could not be indicative of their true strength, it was clearly sufficient to demonstrate just how dominant Duke Huai’s faction was; and his faction possessed a strength that completely suppressed their opposition! And this contest which was deliberately arranged by Duke Huai was arranged with two goals in mind. The first goal was to drive out the Yun Family; the second goal was to use pure strength to oppress and cruelly destroy the other faction’s presence, to grind the dignity and prestige of the other faction, the Little Demon Empress included, completely under their heel.
And once the Yun Family had been expelled, the Little Demon Empress would not have the ability to contend with Duke Huai anymore. Once that happened, Duke Huai would only need an opportunity, whether natural or manufactured, to usurp this Illusory Demon World Demon Emperor’s throne…
The faces of all the people on the west wing were shrouded in a cloud of gloom. Once Number Six Under Heaven had lost to Bai Jie, they only had two people left that were eligible to do battle and realistically in their hearts, it was akin to only having one person left. This was because the Yun Family really did not have a single person among their young generation who was up to task.
“Ah.” Su Xiangnan slowly let out a sigh. He patted Su Zhizhan on the shoulder as he said, “Zhizhan, the conclusion has already been reached and our defeat as already been determined… In fact, it has been determined from the very start. It’s your turn now. Whether we can get back any of our dignity is now up to you and you alone.”
“I understand but not matter the result, I will definitely give it my best shot!”
After he had finished speaking, Su Zhizhan grabbed his weapon and soared into the sky, landing in front of Bai Jie who had just won over Number Six Under Heaven. He pointed his sword straight and the aura that radiated out from him was incomparably rich and strong. He did not even show one hint of weaknesses in regards to the great failure of his own faction as he declared, “Su Family’s Su Zhizhan presents himself! I have never been willing to cross swords with a woman, so it would be better if you simply surrendered and got off this stage.”
He faced Bai Jie, who was clothed in white and had a figure that was taller than most women. Her face was flushed red and she faintly showed signs of tiredness as it was made clear that her recent battle with Number Six Under Heaven was not easy at all. But upon hearing Su Zhizhan’s words, she let out a cold laugh and said mockingly, “Your side has lost in a completely miserable manner so I don’t really know where you are getting the nerve to speak so arrogantly from. And right now, you especially don’t have the right to look down on us women.”
“Ah, no, I think you’re mistaken there,” Su Zhizhan said softly as he gave an extremely contemptuous laugh, “I, Su Zhizhan, will definitely never look down on women, I only… look down on ungrateful and traitorous women who are no better than mongrels!”
“You’re courting death!” Those venomous words caused Bai Jie to erupt in fury and her jade sword exploded forward. In an instant, the shadow of an enormous white tiger appeared behind her. The image of this white tiger roared at the heavens and the sound of its roar spread through all four corners of the great hall, causing it to tremble. And in that instance, a strong gale rose up and surged violently. This howling gale was sufficient enough to suppress the roar of the white tiger and the arena seemed to be engulfed in thousands upon thousands of windstorms.
“It’s the Bai Family’s Tiger Roar Domain!”
Bai Jie’s domain instantly radiated outwards to envelop the entire arena. Su Zhizhan’s hair and clothes were flying wildly as the wind howled all around him. However, his body was nailed to the ground, unmoving. Then, he raised the longsword in his hand and attacked, his sword sweeping forward.
Within Bai Jie’s domain, besides herself, the strength and speed of every other person would be heavily restricted, but the speed of Su Zhizhan’s sword was still as swift as a bolt of lightning. The might of his sword swept away all of the violent hurricanes around him as a huge tear was immediately formed in Bai Jie’s domain. Su Zhizhan sprang forward and every step he took tore a rip in Bai Jie’s domain.
“The Bai Family and Su Family both use the sword as their weapon and they both cultivate wind attribute profound strength. Bai Jie’s and Su Zhizhan’s profound strength is not too far apart, but in terms of their understanding of the laws and nature of wind profound energy, Su Zhizhan is vastly superior to Bai Jie, so her domain does not pose any threat to him at all.” Yun Qinghong said in an admiring voice.
At this time, Su Zhizhan had already reached Bai Jie’s side, and the body of his sword surged with a dull green wind spiral. This wind spiral may have been infinitesimally small compared to the huge domain of howling winds but nevertheless, it was strong enough to push aside all of the howling winds surrounding it.
Riip!!
Su Zhizhan’s straight thrust violently tore apart the domain in front of him. Bai Jie also raised her jade sword and blocked Su Zhizhan’s sword with a loud clank. Immediately, she felt her arm go numb and an acute pain lanced through the flesh joining her thumb and her forefinger. Her body swiftly flew backwards and her jade sword almost flew out of her hand.
Even if she was at full strength, she would not be Su Zhizhan’s match, much less right now, when she had already exhausted a good portion of her profound strength.
Su Zhizhan did not give her any breathing room; his body flicked as he instantly pressed forward. His body was like a howling gale and his sword was like a thunderbolt; every slash was accompanied by a howling noise that practically tore the eardrums. The wind spiral on his sword was also expanding rapidly, and after Bai Jie had crossed swords with him continously, her arm was completely numbed. Her tightly gripped right hand was already stained with blood from the torn webbing between her finger and thumb, even her cheeks were scored with several long wounds that were inflicted by his sword wind.
“You dare to harm my face… I will definitely not let you off!!”
Bai Jie only noticed the pain on her face once she felt it and this caused her to react like a tiger who had its tail stepped on. She instantly went berserk and roared in fury. The huge figure of a white tiger once again appeared behind her as a whirlwind that was more than thirty meters tall surged up all around her. Su Zhizhan’s eyes flashed and he unexpectedly jumped into the midst of Bai Jie’s whirlwind. He did not wait for her to unleash her all-out attack, but instead slapped his sword across her waist.
This whip of his sword produced an incomparably loud and extremely clear ring. The whirlwind that was still forming around Bai Jie’s body vanished in an instant. Her entire body spun wildly about like a violently spinning top and she flew directly out of the arena.
“Ah, women, no matter how strong they are, they still can’t accomplish anything big.” Su Zhizhan stood where he originally was and sombrely shook his head as he mumbled to he muttered to himself.
Bai Jie collapsed to the ground as she had been turned topsy-turvy. Her jade sword had also flown off to some unknown location.
“Su Zhizhan… I… I’m going to have it out with you!!”
In front of all the heroes of the realm, a slap of her opponent’s sword had sent her flying. As the strongest member of the Bai Family in her generation and one of the most prominent talented women in the entire Illusory Demon Realm, she had never suffered such humiliation before. She hefted her sword once more and with a yell, gathered herself as she prepared to rush Su Zhizhan.
“That is enough.”
Bai Jie’s charging figure suddenly stopped as an invisible energy barrier appeared before her, not letting her move an inch forward. The Bai Family’s Patriarch Bai Yi stood up and restrained Bai Jie, saying, “You have already lost… In front of all who are present, what kind of behavior is this?!”
It was only then that Bai Jie realized she had already fallen outside the arena limits. She grit her teeth and shot Su Zhizhan a fierce look, but she could only obediently return to her seat after that.
Chapter 551 - Su Zhizhan VS Helian Ba
Su Zhizhan had defeated Bai Jie; this conclusion was not unexpected in the least. He had cleanly defeated Bai Jie without stretching the fight out, and he clearly managed to preserve most of his profound strength. He stood in the middle of the arena and looked at the east wing seats. Without waiting for a representative to come forth, he raised his sword, pointed it directly at someone who was sitting among the Helian Clan, and said in a clear and haughty voice, “Helian Ba, do you dare to come out for a match?!”
This was the first time since this contest had begun that someone had directly challenged an opponent. And the one whom Su Zhizhan challenged was actually the other person who was also termed as the strongest of Twelve Families’ young generation, Helian Ba!
Su Zhizhan was extremely clear that in this contest, the side he represented was undoubtedly going to suffer a crushing defeat. And in order to get back some of their pride, the best method was to defeat the one who was vying with him for dominance at the top, Helian Ba, and clearly stake his claim on the title of number one!
Under the expectant gazes of all who were present and being challenged by a rival who was equal to him in both fame and ability, it was only natural for Helian Ba to rise to the occasion. Because even if he did not want to, he would have to or else the whole world would think that he was scared of Su Zhizhan. He stood up without a hint of hesitation, flew to the spot in front of Su Zhizhan and graced him with a cold smile, “Su Zhizhan, it looks like you want to bring this contest to a swift conclusion so you can scram back to your seat with your tail between your legs. If that’s the case, I definitely will not disappoint you.”
“The one who’s going to scram is you.” Su Zhizhan interjected coldly.
“Haha!” Helian Ba grinned from ear to ear, “The only thing that’s impressive are your words, you pitiful loser. Ah, to think that you are actually as famous as me, Helian Ba. Woe is me. Hm, you have just fought a match with Bai Jie so you have definitely exerted yourself, even if it is just a little bit. Tsk, tsk, don’t worry, I, Helian Ba, will not take advantage of you in any way. I will give you fifteen minutes to recover because I do not want anyone to doubt my victory over you! Because there can only be one true… number one.”
“There is no need.” Su Zhizhan’s gaze grew cold and he gave a contemptuous bark, “Equals? Perhaps I could still accept that in the past, but right now, you are not worthy! To compare me, Su Zhizhan, to an ungrateful and traitorous mongrel like you, it’s simply the greatest form of humiliation! Why would I need any rest to beat down a mere lackey like you?!”
Su Xiangnan had always been upright and principled. Even though his son was filled with arrogance, he had inherited his father’s traits completely in this point: He was filled with an extreme revulsion and disgust at the betrayal of the seven great Families and the various Duke Palaces.
Helian Ba’s face instantly grew dark, and he said, “I had originally wanted to give you some leeway, but you asked for it!”
“Hmph!” Su Zhizhan gave a cold snort and couldn’t be bothered to speak any further. He tightened the grip on his sword and slowly advanced forward with a gaze as cold as ice. His body began to emit a strong sword force as squalls of wind started to quickly circulate around him. With every step he took, the howling winds increasingly raged, as his sword force grew more and more boundless. After he had taken ten steps, countless of sword shadows danced amidst the great storm.
“This is the Su Family’s ‘Stellar Wind Sword Domain’.” Yun Qinghong explained to Yun Che, “It is the final form of the Su Family’s ‘Divine Wind Sword Domain’, it combines strong winds with sword force and its killing power is extremely strong. Once the weak are pulled into this domain, they will be broken into tiny pieces. If Su Zhizhan is going to display his Stellar Wind Sword Domain right off the bat, it means that he has resolved to go all out.”
With a roar of thunder, a jet-black sword had appeared in Helian Ba’s hand. Lightning crackled all over the black blade as a domain of jet-black lightning began to slowly radiate forth from his body. But before this domain could fully form, a gust of wind hissed in his face and Su Zhizhan dashed forward, quick as a flash of lightning. Both swords clashed in the air as both domains also instantly collided together and intersected.
Bang, bang, boom, boom, boom!!
In the blink of an eye, both people had already exchanged tens of blows. Su Zhizhan’s sword strokes filled the air and it looked like an entire galaxy of stars was falling to the earth, while Helian Ba’s black sword thrashed about like a raging flood dragon. The two powerful domains tore at each other like a pair of mad beasts, struggling to tear and devour the other. The match between Su Zhizhan and Helian Ba had quickly reached the boiling point.
The profound strength of both contestants also began to swiftly rise as they engaged in fierce combat, gradually rising to peak levels after they had finished their initial probing strikes. As wind howled and thunder roared, the match had already gone through hundreds of rounds as both Su Zhizhan and Helian Ba were locked together in a crazy and frenetic battle, but neither could overpower the other. Their domains kept shrinking and expanding crazily at the same time while the sword energy, wild gales and galloping lightning had even extended beyond the arena. If it wasn’t for the powerful families and Duke Palaces who used their profound strength to form a barrier around the arena, the entire great hall would have been swallowed up by the mass of sword energy, wind and lightning.
“How… How powerful, are they really a part of the… young generation?” A few of the youths who were visiting Demon Imperial City for the first time had long become stunned into insensibility. Being able to qualify to attend this Hundred Year Reign Ceremony, naturally meant they were the best of the best within their own territories. But the fight before them completely and utterly demolished any arrogance or self-confidence they had possessed before. Even though they had always known Demon Imperial City possessed the highest level of profound strength within the entire Illusory Demon Realm, they had never dreamed that the difference was actually this huge.
These two were clearly around the same age as the rest of them, but when they all compared their own ability to the two, it was literally the difference between heaven and earth! Even their most respected and admired seniors did not nearly possess this kind of strength.
“This is the true strength of the Twelve Guardian Families.” An old practitioner said as he sighed deeply in admiration.
“Within the Guardian Families, becoming an Overlord before thirty is the bare minimum standard. From where we come from, to be able to have a Monarch is something that will garner the admiration of everyone around us and is worthy of one thousand years of glory. But in the Twelve Guardian Families, a Monarch is merely one of the qualifications required to be an Elder. Especially the Yun Family of one hundred years ago… Just counting the high level Monarchs who were at least at at the seventh level of the Sovereign Profound Realm, there were already a whole eleven people!”
At these words, all these youths were simply struck dumb and no one uttered a single word for a long time.
Su Zhizhan’s sword was as fast as flowing light and the howling wind sword beams fell like torrential rain. In comparison, Helian Ba’s sword was slower, but it was extremely strong and ferocious; every stroke of Helian Ba’s sword was enough to shatter several sword beams that Su Zhizhan shot out.
Su Zhizhan’s face had been calm and frozen from start to finish, but Helian Ba’s face became more and more twisted, because the Su Zhizhan that was before him was practically a madman; every move and every stroke he made seemed to be directed at a bitter enemy who owed him a huge debt of blood. Ninety percent of his profound energy was focused on offense and only ten percent was to used for defense. Under this kind of reckless and life-endangering fighting style, even though none of the combatants had suffered serious injuries, as they were caught in the midst of the criss-crossing and devastating Stellar Wind Sword Domain and Exploding Lightning Domain, Su Zhizhan’s body had already been charred black, while sword winds carved more than one hundred bloody wounds into Helian Ba’s body, turning his breastplate into a beehive since long ago.
Boom!!!
After a heavy attack, both combatants’ domains collapsed simultaneously. Su Zhizhan and Helian Ba shot out like two cannonballs, then landed in two separate corners of the arena. Helian Ba landed on the ground, his profound energy leaking, as the hundred wounds on his body immediately started gushed blood, dying his clothes and most of his body red. Even though they were all small wounds, such a large amount of blood was enough to cause him to go berserk. He gritted his teeth, stretched out his hands to viciously tear off the clothes on his body, and roared, “Su Zhizhan… Are you really looking for a quick death?!”
Similarly, Su Zhizhan’s body was covered with wounds. While both of them had battled fiercely in the intermingled wind and lightning domains, it was only after they had separated that the audience noticed their wound covered bodies, and realized that the two were not engaged in a fierce battle… it would be better termed as a bitter struggle! Even though neither of the two had suffered any serious injuries, their crazy fight had struck fear into the hearts of the audience.
Su Zhizhan didn’t seem like he was in a competition, it looked as if he was putting his life on the line.
Because this was a fight he definitely could not lose.
“Why? Are you scared of death?” Su Zhizhan asked as he coldly laughed.
Frankly speaking, Helian Ba was indeed a little bit scared because any sensible person would be scared of a maniac who was putting his life on the line. His face became dark and sinister, as his heart became patient no longer. He roared in a low voice, “Since you want to die… let me fulfill your heart’s desire!”
As his voice fell, Helian Ba gripped his sword in both hands. The black sword immediately buzzed as lightning began to revolve around it. In an instant, the space surrounding the black sword suddenly began to distort, and even Helian Ba himself was caught in this fiercely distorted space, as the ghastly ripples of distorted space surged in every direction.
The aura emitted by this sword caused the complexion of every person within the great hall to faintly change.
“Su Zhizhan, did you really think that you had the right to be called the strongest along with me?!” Helian Ba’s body had also distorted as space rippled all around him. An oppressive aura which seemed to overturn the heavens engulfed the arena and the great hall; even the surrounding sources of light seemed to go dim. He didn’t release his lightning domain; only a mild halo of lightning covered the body of his sword, but the deafening sound of thunder which seemed to come out from nowhere rang through the entire great hall, “The heavens have bestowed upon our Nine-headed Demon Snake Clan a strong profound lighting and a rock-solid body that you humans can never compare with! And under this sword, you are only fit to bend your head and kneel!!”
“Scram!!”
Helian Ba’s voice exploded as he leaped high into the air. In midair, his body shimmered and the image of huge snake suddenly materialized. The huge snake had nine heads and all nine heads howled at the sky. Then, the mouths of all the heads opened wide, as they rushed down to bite Su Zhizhan at the same time. In the next instant, these nine snake heads suddenly disappeared, and morphed into nine Helian Ba’s that simultaneously slashed their swords towards Su Zhizhan.
“Netherworld Lightning Emperor Slash!! Helian Ba could actually use this move, and to top it all off, it is the complete Netherworld Lightning Emperor Slash!” The Yan Family’s Patriarch Yan Zijing stood up abruptly as he said in an alarmed voice, “This was not an attack that can be executed at the sixth level of the Tyrant Profound Realm, Su Zhizhan is in real danger now…”
He turned his head to look at Su Xiangnan, but he discovered that he was still seated in his seat. While the look on his face was grave, it seemed to not be anxious.
As a boundless aura descended from above, everyone the great hall felt a deep feeling of suffocation. Those who had a comparatively weaker profound strength paled, as they felt like their chest was about to crack open… If the effect that this attack had on the audience who were on the fringes of the battlefield was already this horrifying, the power that this sword held was simply unfathomable.
Su Zhizhan raised his head and looked at the nine swiftly descending figures with apathetic eyes. The Stellar Wind Sword Domain soundlessly rose up, then swiftly spread out.
“What the heck is Su Zhizhan doing?! Shouldn’t he be preparing to either defend or dodge? What is he opening that Stellar Wind Sword Domain for?!”
Su Zhizhan turned a deaf ear to all of the yelling around him. Right when the Stellar Wind Sword Domain had made contact with Helian Ba’s descending figure and was promptly torn asunder by his black sword, both of Su Zhizhan’s eyes emitted a cold flash of light. The sword in his hand abruptly flew out of his hand, floated in front of him, and then began to spin at a great speed. A huge vortex of wind swiftly formed as the sword continued to spin rapidly, growing bigger and bigger…
“Divine… Wind… Sword!!”
These three words were slowly and deliberately spoken by Su Zhizhan in a deep and low voice. Just when Helian Ba’s black sword was only five meters away from the top of his head, both his hands abruptly pushed forward. The longsword brought the huge vortex of wind along with it as it suddenly flew out… and it aimed directly for one of the nine figures that Helian Ba had manifested.
“What?!” Helian Ba’s heart leaped in fear. The nine figures he had manifested were naturally not all real because even though his original body was that of a Nine-headed Demon Snake, with his original body having nine heads, it definitely did not mean that he could manifest nine bodies. And of these nine images, only one was real; the other eight were just there to disrupt his opponents senses and state of mind.
Yet Su Zhizhan’s sword was flying in the direction of his real body!
“Ah, that’s how it is. He used the Stellar Wind Sword Domain to probe which was one of the images was Helian Ba’s true body.” Yun Che said in understanding, “This sword domain is very different from normal domains. Not only does it need the support of profound energy, it also needs the infusion of strong sword intent, and from the feedback he obtained when all nine Helian Ba’s made contact with the sword intent infused within this sword domain, Su Zhizhan instantly figured out which one was the true body.”
Chapter 552 - Nine Emperor Dragon Poison
“Hmph.” After Helian Ba overcame his brief moment of shock, he began to laugh wildly, “So what if you know where my real body is? This sword of mine, even if you have ten more years, you still won’t be able to meet it…”
Helian Ba had not finished speaking when his face suddenly changed color, because the sword that was shooting towards him did not slow down in the slightest despite the oppressive aura being emitted by his Netherworld Lightning Emperor Slash. The sword sliced through the layers of profound energy around him like a hot knife through butter, bringing a whirlwind that seemed to beckon the end of days as it stabbed directly towards his body.
Boom!!!
Sword met sword in a midair collision and the power of wind and lightning erupted at the same time. In that instant, it was as though two mountains had collided together; the world shook as violent winds howled. It was as if all the air currents in the area had been cleaved apart by a boundlessly tyrannical profound energy stream and the entire Demon Imperial Hall had become a complete vacuum in the span of five breaths.
In the center of the crazy and unrestrained vortex of wind and lightning profound energy, two swords clashed together like two flood dragons attempting to tear each other apart amidst the ocean waves, letting out a series of extremely ear-piercing rings as metal crashed against metal.
Su Zhizhan stood below and both of his hands were raised rigidly above his head. Even though his sword had left his hand, it was still entirely under his control. Meanwhile, Helian Ba’s body stopped in midair and his black sword had been completely stonewalled by Su Zhizhan blade. He actually could not force it to descend another inch. Helian Ba’s eyes widened as he struggled, not believing the scene that was unfolding before his eyes, “This isn’t possible… It isn’t possible… This sword… How were you able to block it?!!”
“Heh… Heh heh…” Su Zhizhan laughed, because at this moment he had already seen the conclusion of this fight, “Helian Ba, did you think you were the only one who had an ace up his sleeve?! The many times I had sparred with you before, I had never used my full strength once… Because you are not worthy!!”
Both of Su Zhizhan’s hands fiercely thrust upwards and in a split second, Helian Ba felt the power which was rushing towards him suddenly spike. His black sword was viciously pushed aside and the profound energy protecting him was easily cleaved apart as an unbelievably huge force smashed into his chest.
“Scram!!”
Boom!!
A piercing cry split the air as the black sword in Helian Ba’s hand broke in two and flew out of his hand in two different directions. Meanwhile, Helian Ba’s body fell like a kite which had its string cut and flew towards the west wing. Despite this, the sword carrying the terrifying whirlwind did not continue chasing after him, instead it shot upwards, making a giant arc in the air before descending and falling in front of Su Zhizhan. The wind around the sword had almost completely dissipated as well.
Helian Kuang flew out and caught Helian Ba in midair. Helian Ba’s breastplate was shattered and a bloody hole that was half a foot long was carved into his chest. Helian Kuang took a glance at Helian Ba’s wounds and coldly eyed Su Xiangnan as he declared in an icy voice, “Su Xiangnan, you have indeed raised an exceptional son, he has managed to learn the Divine Wind Sword at such a tender age.”
“Haha, as everyone has plainly seen, he is indeed quite a bit better than Brother Helian’s son. And it would simply be impolite for this Su to refuse the compliment given by Brother Helian.” Su Xiangnan said in a bemused voice as he chuckled.
“You!” Helian Kuang’s face grew dark and he suppressed the urge to let loose a torrent of abuse with much difficulty. Meanwhile, Helian Ba, who was still in his father’s arms, began to struggle and he said, “How… could I lose to him! This is not possible… I want to… compete with him again…”
“That is enough!” Helian Kuang yelled in a low voice, “Your technique was not up to par, so your loss was not the least bit unjustified. It has been made clear that Su Zhizhan has always been concealing a part of his strength, so even if you fought him another ten times, you would still lose! Hmph, let’s just let them grow complacent with this win… This is the last thing they will be able to be pleased with after all.”
For the first time, the west wing rang out in applause. The west wing which had been completely suppressed had finally been able to catch a break following the victory Su Zhizhan achieved over Helian Ba. But how could Su Zhizhan attain an easy victory when he was matched against the person who was deemed his equal? He was not only covered in wounds, he had also exhausted close to ninety percent of his profound energy. As the cheers rang out from the rest, he half-knelt to the ground and it was only after the cheers began to die down that he slowly got up and lifted his beloved sword once more.
“Who’s next?!”
The sword gripped in Su Zhizhan’s hand faintly trembled; this was the reaction of muscles which had undergone an extremely heavy strain. However, Su Zhizhan’s voice still rang out steadily and his imposing aura did not weaken in the slightest.
Helian Ba covered the wound on his chest and his gaze directly sought out Jiufang Yu, who was seated in the middle of the Jiufang Family. After noticing his gaze, Jiufang Yu immediately shot a look back at him, because once he had met Helian Ba’s eyes, he had come to a complete understanding.
Helian Ba’s extreme rage and bitterness had clearly conveyed a single message to him: Avenge me… by crippling him!
Jiufang Yu stood up and leaped into the arena. He stood in front of Su Zhizhan and said in a merry voice, “Jiufang Family’s Jiufang Yu is here, I hope Brother Su will give me a few tips.”
Duke Huai was in the midst of contemplating who he would send out to clear away the spent force Su Zhizhan, when he suddenly saw Jiufang Yu take the initiative to get on stage. His eyes narrowed as a mirthful chuckle rose silently in his throat.
Upon seeing Jiufang Yu take the stage, Su Xiangnan, who had been completely calm when Su Zhizhan was battling Helian Ba, abruptly stood up as his eyebrows tightened fiercely. He swiftly transmitted a message, “Zhizhan, be careful!”
Jiufang Yu’s profound strength was not too high as he was only at the Tyrant Profound Realm level four. But the truly terrifying thing about the Jiufang Clan was that their Family’s profound art was a horrifying poison art! And their original form was that of a Nine Headed Poison Dragon! This Jiufang Yu also possessed an extremely rare form of dragon poison from birth, the “Nine Emperor Venom Body” that only appeared in the Jiufang Clan once every four thousand years. If one was poisoned by the venom he carried in his body, even a low level Monarch would have some difficulty expunging it from their body; this point was something everyone in Demon Imperial City knew.
Within the entire Demon Imperial City, there were extremely few people who dared to cross fists with a member of the Jiufang Family.
“Brother Su, you were truly magnificent just now.” Jiufang Yu spoke in a whisper that only Su Zhizhan could hear, “However, I would advise you to immediately surrender right now. You should know what outcome awaits you if you end up in my hands.”
“Cut the crap!” Su Zhizhan slashed his sword, “I, Su Zhizhan have never been afraid of anyone in this life. And you are definitely not worthy!”
The corner of Jiufang Yu’s mouth crooked upwards. Su Zhizhan was famous for having a contemptuous and haughty personality, so he would definitely never take the initiative to do such a thing like surrendering. He took out his weapon… a dark green longsword, and he said in a voice that was not fast nor slow, “Then you mustn’t blame me for not giving you a chance!”
“Shut your mouth!!”
Su Zhizhan flung his arm out and his longsword abruptly flew out with a howl. Shockingly, the tip of the sword was directed at Jiufang Yu’s throat and icy aura flew straight at his throat. This caused Jiufang Yu to immediately break out in cold sweat as he panickedly dodged and swung his dark green longsword, batting Su Zhizhan’s blade aside. He cursed silently in his heart: This madman!
If it was Su Zhizhan at the peak of his strength, Jiufang Yu would not have been able to send his sword flying with such ease. But right now, Jiufang Yu had not even used sixty percent of his power and he had almost caused Su Zhizhan’s to lose control of his sword. Su Zhizhan gritted his teeth silently and recalled the sword to his hand. As he leapt forward, wild wind and sword energy gathered around him. All the profound energy in his body rushed out unreservedly and he stabbed straight towards Jiufang Yu.
After he had tasted Su Zhizhan’s most recent sword strike, most of Jiufang Yu’s worries were put to rest. He advanced a step and his sword smashed forward… He firmly believed, that given Su Zhizhan’s present condition, he would definitely not be his match in a direct clash of strength.
Bang!
Both swords clashed together and profound energy ripples began to spread out to the surrounding area. Su Zhizhan’s upper body swayed back and forth and the sword in his hand bent substantially; it was clear for all to see that he had clearly lost out in this clash of swords… He originally had the profound strength of Tyrant Profound Realm level six, but right now, in the first clash of arms with Jiufang Yu who was merely at the Tyrant Profound Realm level four, he was clearly at a disadvantage. This clearly indicated just how much the battle with Helian Ba had exhausted him.
But even his present condition would not cause Su Zhizhan to retreat half a step. The bones in his arms made crisp sounds but instead of advancing, he moved backwards and tens of sword shadows filled the air in an instant as they thrust straight towards Jiufang Yu’s vital points… Jiufang Yu’s eyes were dazzled but he also did not retreat. Instead, he didn’t even look up and simply swept his sword forward… The level of Su Zhizhan’s wind sword had reached the pinnacle of perfection, but without strong profound energy to support them, they had all the menace of a little kitten!
Clang!!
A huge force accompanied his sword stroke and Su Zhizhan’s sword and hands were viciously smashed aside as his body reeled backwards. Jiufang Yu’s eyes flashed and a sinister smile flashed across his face as well. His body suddenly surged forward, carrying a moss-green smoke that swept past Su Zhizhan’s side. Within this moss-green smoke, the figure of a jade green Nine Headed Flood Dragon also flashed by…
Not only was the protective layer of profound energy around Su Zhizhan exceptionally weak, he was also wounded all over, so this green smoke easily penetrated the protective layer of profound energy around him and passed through his wounds to invade his bloodstream.
A groan of intense pain escaped Su Zhizhan’s throat as his entire body froze and he knelt on the ground, his sword falling to the ground with a crash. His entire body shivered violently as all the wounds on his body began to slowly turn a deep shade of green.
“Zhizhan!!”
The scenario that he had feared the most had still happened. Su Xiangnan’s face paled with shock. He flew out to land beside Su Zhizhan, and swiftly picked him up.
“Su Xiangnan! The outcome of the battle has not yet been decided, what is the meaning behind your intrusion?!” Duke Huai thundered.
“In this battle, we admit defeat!!”
Su Xiangnan yelled with gritted teeth. He swiftly examined Su Zhizhan’s present condition and his heart filled with alarm: Su Zhizhan’s profound strength had greatly waned and it was hard for him to resist the poison. What was even harder to restrain was the spread and the outbreak of this poison. This was worsened by the fact that he was covered in wounds and the deadly poison had entered his body in large amounts from various locations on his body. And for the current Su Zhizhan, this poison would kill him in a short period of time!
Su Xiangnan swiftly channeled his profound energy and used all his strength to restrain the virulent poison in Su Zhizhan’s body. He fiercely turned his head and fiercely stared at Jiufang Yu, “Hand me the antidote right now!!”
“Antidote?” Jiufang Yu asked with an innocent expression, “Ah, in regards to that, this junior has the Nine Emperor Venom Body, so it is somewhat different from the other members of my family. And it is very hard to concoct the antidote for this kind of Nine Emperor Dragon Poison, so this junior only has a few pills altogether… Ah, today I left the house in quite a hurry, so I forgot to bring it. However with the deep and resounding profound strength of Patriarch Su and the other seniors of the Su Family, I believe that cleansing this junior’s lowly Nine Emperor Dragon Poison should be a simple matter.”
The various great elders of the Su Family had all flown to Su Zhizhan’s side, but after examining his condition, all of their expressions abruptly changed.
“You bastard!” Su Xiangnan raged in fury, “You clearly knew that my son’s body was covered in wounds and his profound energy had greatly weakened, but you still deliberately used such a heavy poison! He has no strength to resist the poison at the moment, and if we use external energy, it is extremely easy to injure his internal organs… hand me the antidote immediately! If not, do not blame me for being impolite!”
“Su Xiangnan, what do you mean by that?” The Jiufang Family’s Patriarch Jiufang Kui stood up and coldly eyed him while he said, “Poison arts are our Jiufang Family’s clan profound art, it is a matter that is open and aboveboard! My son defeated him with our Family’s profound art, honestly and in a straightforward manner! Given your son’s attitude, he can only blame himself for his own inferiority. Don’t tell me that in the midst of battle when you are battling your mortal enemy, you would actually hope that he would bequeath an antidote to you?!”
“Jiufang Kui, you!!” Su Xiangnan was filled with indignant anger but the antidote was in the hands of the other party, so even he was extremely furious, he did not dare be too fierce with his words. He took in a large breath and he turned to the Little Demon Empress. If the Little Demon Empress intervened, the Jiufang Family will definitely not dare to withhold the antidote, but this would also lead to his own side becoming mired in passivity.
At this time, Yun Che rushed over and he arrived at Su Zhizhan’s side. He quickly took out a dull yellow medicine pill and placed it in Su Zhizhan’s mouth, “Swallow this pill immediately, hurry!”
As he finished speaking, he didn’t wait for Su Zhizhan to respond. He directly used his profound energy to push the yellow pill into Su Zhizhan’s stomach. It was only then that the elders by Su Zhizhan’s side reacted and yelled in alarm, “What did you feed the Young Patriarch?!”
As their voices fell, they sensed that the poison in Su Zhizhan’s body had suddenly weakened. The poison began to lessen at a shocking speed and in the span of a few breaths, the green on Su Zhizhan’s body gradually dimmed, until the green tinge disappeared altogether.
Yun Che’s hand stealthily moved away from Su Zhizhan’s chest… the medical pill he had fed him was only an ordinary Profound Recovering Pellet. It was a sleight of hand performed by Yun Che, because what truly cleansed the dragon poison was naturally the Sky Poison Pearl. The Nine Emperor Dragon Poison was indeed scary, but in front of the Sky Poison Pearl, it was no different from any ordinary poison. It was completely purged from Su Zhizhan’s system in the blink of an eye.
Chapter 553 - Yun Che Comes Forth
The terrifying feeling of the deadly poison eating away at Su Zhizhan’s body miraculously disappeared. Not only had the poison in his body completely disappeared, the moans had also stopped coming from his mouth, and under everyone’s surprised gaze… he even slowly stood up all by himself.
“This…”
Su Xiangnan, who had his palm pressing on Su Zhizhan this whole time, and all the elders from Su Family, clearly felt the Nine Emperor Dragon Poison completely disappear from Su Zhizhan’s body… It completely disappeared, rather than being suppressed. They were one of the Guardian Families aside the Jiufang Clan for a full ten thousand years, so they naturally knew very clearly how strong the Jiufang Clan’s poison art was, and knew how scary the Nine Emperor Dragon Poison was. Even if someone was as strong as them, it would still take quite a while to completely neutralize the “Nine Emperor Dragon Poison” from Jiufang Yu, a mere Tyrant Profound Realm level four, if they got hit. The yellow pill that Yun Che fed Su Zhizhan dissolved all of the Nine Emperor Dragon Poison in the time of only a few short breaths.
Even with their experience, it was hard for them to believe it.
Su Zhizhan naturally knew best about the status of his own body. He looked at Yun Che with astonished eyes for a while, then he cupped his hands and said sincerely, “Brother Yun, thank you for saving me. Father, all the gathered elders, I am okay now.”
Under the supervision of everyone present, the Jiufang Clan naturally wouldn’t really kill Su Zhizhan with poison, but if the Nine Emperor Dragon Poison was dragged out long enough, there was a very likely chance that it would deal permanent, irreparable damage to Su Zhizhan’s body, or even to his profound veins. If the Su Family wanted to get the antidote sooner, they would have had to lower their heads to the Jiufang Clan… so, not only did Yun Che dissolve the poison in Su Zhizhan’s body, he also saved the Su Family from lowering their dignity.
With Su Zhizhan’s personality, if his clan had to kneel down to the Jiufang Clan because of him, it would be harder to endure than simply killing him. So towards Yun Che, whom he hadn’t paid much attention to before, his heart was now filled with gratitude.
“It… it really was a miracle medicine!” A few of the elders from the Su Family gasped in a low voice. If it weren’t in consideration for their location, they would definitely do everything to find out what miracle medicine Yun Che fed Su Zhizhan. Within the time of a few breaths, it completely dissolved the Nine Emperor Dragon Poison that was spreading within his body. With this medicine, they would be invulnerable to tens of thousands of poisons!
Su Xiangnan nodded heavily towards Yun Che. Even though he hadn’t spoken, his gratitude was already shown all over his face.
“What happened?” With the presence of the venom disappearing from Su Zhizhan’s body, he stood up as if nothing had happened. Jiufang Yu and the people of the Jiufang Clan were all stunned. Even though they only saw Yun Che feeding Su Zhizhan a single pill, the same word appeared in all of their minds —— Impossible!
In this world, how could there possibly exist a medicine that could dissolve the Nine Emperor Dragon Poison that easily… That’s absolutely impossible! It must be only temporarily suppressing the poison. That must be it!
Everyone in the Jiufang Clan was shocked. They absolutely would not believe, and absolutely could not accept that the poison in Su Zhizhan’s body was really cleansed that easily by a single pill! If there really was a pill like that, then wouldn’t the poison art of their clan become a joke, become nonsense?!
“That poison just now, I, Su Zhizhan… will remember it!” Su Zhizhan gave Jiufang Yu a vicious look, and with the help of Su Xiangnan, he sat back into the seats of the Su Family.
But Yun Che didn’t leave right away. He faced Jiufang Yu, and said without expression, “Jiufang Yu, when Su Zhizhan fought you hand to hand, his entire body was already wounded, and his profound strength had dropped drastically. You could have beaten him easily, so why did you use poison? Does your entire Jiufang Clan consist of insidious, sinister people?”
Towards Yun Che, whose body only released a Sky Profound aura, Jiufang Yu was completely uninterested to even look at him. He was a renowned top genius of Illusory Demon Realm, and the number one of the Jiufang Clan. In his eyes, a mere Sky Profound Realm didn’t even deserve the word “trash”. He tilted his head, and asked lazily, “What kind of a thing are you? When did a useless thing like you have the right to question how I fought against Su Zhizhan? Oh… I finally remembered, weren’t you the one who talked back to Duke Huai, the useless godson that Patriarch Yun had adopted, mn? What, is it possible that you are the person representing the Yun Family for the next round? Hahahaha!”
After saying that last sentence, Jiufang Yu immediately burst into laughter. Yun Che laughed as well, “You are correct. I am the one representing the Yun Family, who is also your opponent now.”
“Hm?” Jiufang Yu’s laughing stopped abruptly, and then he started laughing once again. He laughed until he was staggering back and forth, and was almost out of breath, “You? A Sky Profound Realm piece of trash… representing the Yun Family? Be my opponent? Ahaha… hahahaha…”
The words Jiufang Yu said before were just pure mockery. He didn’t think that the Yun Family would send someone who was only in the Sky Profound Realm, because this realm couldn’t even be qualified to be serve as a stopgap. He didn’t expect Yun Che to give him a confident answer. It was as if he heard the most hilarious joke in the world.
People in the east wing instantly fell on the ground laughing, and the same laughter came from every corner in the hall. The west wing had lost miserably, and the competition was a foregone conclusion. After Su Zhizhan lost, they only had one last contestant left. This competition was started because of the Yun Family, and the result also determined the fate of the Yun Family. Therefore, the Yun Family would have to send someone out no matter what… Even though the Yun Family’s young generation had fallen, and even though it would be a loss for sure, the Yun Family made the claim that they could lose the competition, but they absolutely could not lose their morality and momentum. They should’ve sent the strongest of their young generation to battle with all their might against Jiufang Yu. Even if they lost, they would not yield…
No matter what, they shouldn’t let someone who was only in Sky Profound Realm, someone who didn’t even qualify to serve as a stopgap into the arena. If they really did so, wouldn’t the Yun Family be humiliating themselves?
So, aside from everyone laughing, they all thought that it was Yun Che making the decision on his own. Everyone still vividly remembered all of his shocking impulses, actions, and words from before.
“This boy is here doing comedy, right?”
“When he spoke against Duke Huai before, I thought he was courageous. Turns out he was just a hothead afterall.”
“He is merely in the Sky Profound Realm. He can’t even be compared to me, yet he still wants to represent the Yun Family? Doesn’t he know that this is stripping off the Yun Family’s face?”
“Even I can’t watch this. If it were me, I probably wouldn’t be able to face anyone ever again.”
“The dignified Yun Family Patriarch, how could he adopt such a son, sigh…”
The whole audience fell over laughing. The Little Demon Empress’ crescent brows locked tightly. A soft laugh sounded as Duke Huai stood up and said smilingly, “Yun Che, you are representing the Yun Family? Is this your decision, or Yun Qinghong’s decision?”
Yun Che didn’t answer. Yun Qinghong slowly stood up and looked at Duke Huai. Just as everyone thought he was going to overrule it, he softly said, “Of course this is my decision! The last person from our side, and the person who is representing our Yun Family, is Yun Che! Does Duke Huai have any objections?”
WHOA——
It was no surprise that as soon as Yun Qinghong spoke his words, the whole hall was surprised. Almost everyone was staring in bewilderment, followed with even more noise coming from all directions. Yun Qinghong didn’t even have to listen to know exactly what they were saying. It was definitely things like “Yun Qinghong must have gone mad”.
But, not everyone was like this. Some were gaping, some were laughing loudly, but Duke Huai wasn’t laughing, and many people from the Twelve Families were also deep in thought.
Many people from the Twelve Families knew Yun Che saved Xiao Yun and Number Seven Under Heaven when they were assaulted outside the city three months ago. Especially the Under Heaven Clan, the Helian Clan, and Duke Huai’s people. They even knew that Yun Che had not only saved them from three first-level Tyrant Profound Realms, he even instantly killed a level one Overlord!
His powers were absolutely not as simple as they looked on the surface… Yun Qinghong’s decision displayed this fact even more clearly.
Because Yun Qinghong was absolutely not a fool!
“Seventh Treasure, when Yun Che saved you that day, did he really only use one move to slay a level one Overlord?”
At the seats of the Under Heaven Clan, Unparalleled Under Heaven confirmed with Number Seven Under Heaven.
“Of course it’s true!” Number Seven Under Heaven nodded with certainty, “Third Uncle, I was there when it happened. I saw it clearly with my own eyes.”
“I tested out his strength that day.” Number One Under Heaven gazed at Yun Che and said, “When he attacked, his profound energy aura was still at the tenth level of the Sky Profound Realm, it was unmistakeable. But his combat capabilities, were at least at the fourth level of the Tyrant Profound Realm! Jiufang Yu might not win for sure in this battle… wait and prepare to be surprised!”
Number One Under Heaven pronounced “at least” articulately. Even though the fourth level of the Tyrant Profound Realm was the resulting strength of his test that day, he also felt that it was possible that Yun Che had not used all of his powers. A person who was smart enough would definitely not reveal all of his strengths that easily.
“If that really was the case, then we’ve got a show to watch. A Sky Profound Realm level ten… holds the strength of a mid-stage Overlord, how was this cultivated! In the history of the whole Illusory Demon Realm, there absolutely hasn’t been such a jump in levels of strength,” said Unparalleled Under Heaven as he lowered his eyebrows. But then, he followed it with a sigh to himself, “Sigh, even if his strength really exceeds the fourth level of the Tyrant Profound Realm, what good will it do if he won against Jiufang Yu? This miserable losing situation is impossible to fix. Even if Jiufang Yu lost, they still have the kid from the Xiao Family, the lass from the Chiyang Family, and the three sons of Duke Huai and Duke Zhong… sigh.”
“At least he could win back a large amount of momentum!” Greatest Ambition Under Heaven gave a sideways glance and said, “I’d like to see if he could surprise us! If this kid could really win this fight, then it would be a ruthless slap in their faces, and even if we lost, our hearts would be more at ease! Yun Qinghong’s decision to put him last must have been for this purpose.
“But, Yun Che is only Yun Qinghong’s adopted son after all, not someone from the Yun Family. Usually, he wouldn’t be qualified to represent the Yun Family,” Number Five Under Heaven opened his mouth and said.
“If no one from either side opposes, then why are you worrying about it?” Greatest Ambition Under Heaven said as he waved his hand, “Even if they were aware of this, they definitely won’t say anything about it. They can’t wait to use this opportunity to brutally humiliate the Yun Family… Sigh, I hope this kid can actually win.”
“No objections, of course no objections.” Duke Huai said smilingly and said, “Since Patriarch Yun trusts your adopted son so much, your adopted son must be extraordinary. Then this duke will wait quietly for the exciting showdown next, hehehehe.”
“Patriarch, t-t-this… this is a serious matter, please think clearly about this.” None of the elders of the Yun Family could sit tight any longer, and they all spoke up in agitation.
A younger disciple from the Yun Family speedily stood in front of Yun Qinghong, and said, “Patriarch, this disciple requests to take Yun Che’s place. Even though this disciple is not as gifted, I will fight until death, and will definitely not shame our clan…”
“Say no more.” Yun Qinghong waved his hand firmly, “Go back to your seats. If there’s anything you want to say, save it for after this competition!”
Yun Qinghong’s voice was strict and determined. The elders and disciples all looked at one another, and didn’t dare to say another word. Yun Qinghong sat down and looked at the Yun Che on the stage. In his mind, he thought about the speed and concealing skill that deeply impressed him three days ago… and the Golden Crow’s exploding flames that night outside of Demon Imperial City…
Even though he never really tested Yun Che’s strength, simply based on that night when Yun Che enraged the Little Demon Empress and still came back alive, it was enough for him to believe that his son’s strength was absolutely stronger than he had predicted.
Che’er… let Father see, what performance you would present!
Not everyone in Demon Imperial City knew about Yun Che saving Xiao Yun and Number Seven Under Heaven from the three Overlords. Even if they heard about it, they wouldn’t take an unfamiliar name to heart… Jiufang Yu was one of those people.
For someone at the tenth level of the Sky Profound Realm, even if he was incredibly gifted, his strength would at most be half a step into the Emperor Profound Realm. Jiufang Yu felt humiliated that he was faced with an opponent of a garbage level, in a location like the Demon Imperial Hall with all the heroes of the realm gathered here. To lessen the mortification as much as possible, he felt like he couldn’t just defeat him immediately even if he could crush his opponent with only one fingertip. He had to humiliate him as much as possible, or else he would feel like he couldn’t show his face anywhere in the future.
He stood there in a crooked posture, signaled Yun Che with his finger, and said in a lazy tone, “Then let’s fight. Come. Grab your weapon and attack me all you want. I will stand right here and let you slash me thirty times. If I flinch at all, then consider it my loss, how about that?”
“Heh!” Yun Che laughed slightly, “That’s okay, I don’t think I’ll need a weapon to deal with you.”
“…” Jiufang Yu got so angry he burst into laughter. He now believed that what he encountered wasn’t a weak chicken, but a complete idiot. He felt like his class, level, and even his IQ had all been smacked down just from standing face to face with him.
Chapter 554 - One Strike
“Indeed, you don’t have to use your weapon because the result would be the same whether you use it or not!” Jiufang Yu said as the corners of his lips twitched.
“Are you sure you want to stand there without moving and let me attack you thirty times?” Yun Che rolled his wrist for a moment and revealed a provocative gaze.
“Enough of your rubbish!” Jiufang Yu started to become impatient, “For trash like you, not only thirty moves, even if I stood here and let you attack me three hundred times, you wouldn’t even damage a single hair!”
“Really?” Yun Che’s face looked completely amazed, and rolled his wrist even more fiercely, “Then, I’m going to try.”
Jiufang Yu’s words were not carelessness due to ignorance. There was, after all, a huge gap between the Sky Profound Realm and the Emperor Profound Realm, and the difference between Tyrant Profound Realm and Emperor Profound Realm could be thought of as a natural chasm. Hence, the comparison between the Sky Profound Realm with the Tyrant Profound Realm would be like the difference between earth and heaven. If an Overlord were to casually release a little profound energy for defense, even if a profound practitioner in the Sky Profound Realm attacked with all his might, he would not be able to injure the Overlord even one bit.
Sky Profound Realm and Tyrant Profound Realm, could no longer be likened to a difference in levels… It was simply two different worlds!
Therefore, even though everyone thought that Jiufang Yu was reckless and haughty, other than those who knew of Yun Che’s actual battle prowess, no one thought that Jiufang Yu was acting carelessly.
Yun Che walked forward leisurely to the front of Jiufang Yu, and when he was three steps in front of Jiufang Yu, he slowly raised up his right arm. As he swung his fist threateningly at Jiufang Yu, he confirmed once again, “When I hit you, are you sure you’re not going to block?”
“Hmph!” Jiufang Yu laughed coldly, “Are you deaf? I’ve already said that I’m not going to block. If I even move one bit, consider it your victory! This is my magnanimity towards you, bestowing rubbish like you such a chance. If you waste my time any longer, I’m going to knock you down!”
“Alright!” Yun Che nodded, raising his fist, “Since that’s the case, I’m going to attack. You must receive it pro~per~ly!”
When he said his last word, Yun Che stepped forward quickly and swung a punch, which landed straight on Jiufang Yu’s chest.
Yun Che’s punch was not quick and the profound strength released by it was indeed only at the peak of the Sky Profound Realm. However, the fluctuation of profound energy was not strong and anyone could tell that Yun Che did not use his full strength when he threw the punch.
In the hall, many looked on with contempt… They thought, not using weapons, nor using his full strength, this soft looking punch was something even I could receive, let alone Jiufang Yu.
Truly a fool who was unaware of consequences… Jiufang Yu laughed coldly as he saw Yun Che’s fist approach. Even though he did indeed not move, it didn’t mean that he was not going to retaliate. From how he saw it, facing someone as low level as Yun Che, he just needed to use profound energy to cause a backlash that would be enough to cripple Yun Che’s arm.
From Jiufang Yu’s gaze, Yun Che could guess what he was thinking and laughed coldly in his heart. Suddenly, the right fist that he swung started to accelerate and landed onto Jiufang Yu’s chest. The punch looked neither hard nor gentle and the “bang” sound it produced was neither soft nor loud, only a little abnormally dull.
As everyone had expected, after being punched by Yun Che, Jiufang Yu did not retreat one bit, nor did his body sway even a little.
Within the hall, roars of laughter immediately erupted but the laughter did not last very long; it subsided as everyone suddenly felt that something was a little… amiss.
After being punched by Yun Che, Jiufang Yu indeed did not retreat one bit, nor did his body sway… even his expression remained the same. As Yun Che leisurely pulled back his fist, Jiufang Yu’s expression still had not changed. He didn’t utter any insults and mocking words that he should had.
Yun Che stepped back and looked at Jiufang Yu with a smile.
“What… What happened?”
“Ugh… ugh…” Finally, Jiufang Yu groaned with a hoarse voice. His eyes opened wide, and his eyeballs bulged exaggeratingly, nearly coming out of his eyes. Following that, his body slowly collapsed like a pile of clay and in an instant, he laid on the floor with his hands clutching his chest in misery, curled up just like a cooked prawn. His entire body trembled, and cold sweat poured down his forehead like rain… After which, he vomited a huge mouthful of blood mixed with white foam. Following that, his nose, eyes and ears all started to bleed.
“Wha… What?” Everyone in the hall had their mouth agape in shock. Nearly everyone was stunned and a few patriarchs, dukes and elders suddenly stood up with a face of complete shock.
After being stunned for a while, Jiufang Kui was instantly horrified and flew from his seat, landing beside Jiufang Yu. He immediately picked him up and scanned his body with his profound energy. Instantly, his face darkened as he stared viciously at Yun Che, “You…”
Upon his inspection… all of Jiufang Yu’s internal organs had been displaced, and more than ten of his ribs were deformed. Even though they did not break, it was much scarier than breaking… it was as though they had been forcefully reshaped! Other than his vitals, his chest had nearly turned into a blob of goo and countless meridians were destroyed.
His injuries could only be described as “extremely serious”, much worse than what Jiufang Kui had expected.
“He has already fallen for ten breaths of time, Patriarch Jiufang, you… have lost!” Facing Jiufang Kui’s murderous look, Yun Che was not one bit afraid as he calmly stated.
Yun Che did indeed not use his full strength in his previous punch; however, it still packed the strength of at least several thousand kilograms. If Jiufang Yu had blocked with all his strength, he might have been able to resist it. However, facing Yun Che who was only in the Sky Profound Realm, he didn’t bother to even use one percent of his strength. Although Yun Che’s punch did not cause him to retreat, when the extremely frightening destructive power came in contact with his body, it converted into countless streaks of energies, easily shattered his protective profound energy and spread all over his body, severely injuring him.
“What… what’s wrong? What happened?” Xiao Yun, like most of the others present, was completely stunned.
“He actually… crippled Jiufang Yu in one strike!” Yun Qinghong muttered in a low voice. As he and Mu Yurou looked at each other, they could see the deep shock present in each other’s eyes.
In the hall, everyone was stunned, all the patriarchs were shocked and even Duke Huai’s face remained stiff for quite some time. He naturally knew that Yun Che had defeated a level one Overlord three months ago. When Jiufang Yu was acting insolently, he already predicted that Jiufang Yu would be at a huge disadvantage, but did not inform him, as he wanted to see whether Yun Che, who was clearly in the Sky Profound Realm, really had the same strength he had heard of.
The end result was that even he, who was extremely scheming, was deeply shocked.
One strike… Just one strike and he caused Jiufang Yu, who was in the fourth level of the Tyrant Profound Realm, to collapse to the ground, severely injured and bleeding from all the orifices of his head!
The gaze in which Duke Huai, as well as everyone present, looked at Yun Che instantly changed drastically. Until now, there were still a large majority of people who did not believe what they had seen.
“Yun Che boyo…” The severity of Jiufang Yu’s injuries sharpened Jiufang Kui’s mind, and all the anger within him started to boil as he glared viciously at Yun Che, “How dare you be so ruthless towards my child!!!”
“So? What does Patriarch Jiufang want?”
As the Patriarch of the Jiufang Family, Jiufang Kui emitted an undoubtedly heavy pressure out of his anger and profound strength, but in Yun Che’s eyes, it was like a mere fart. If not ten thousand times, he had experienced such a scene at least eight thousand times, and he leisurely said, “It was your son who wanted to stand there without moving and let me hit him thirty times. I had never made such a request at all and I was still afraid your son could not take it, hence, I did not use my full strength. In the end, who would have expected his body to be so trashy, to have collapsed in just one light punch. Patriarch Jiufang, instead of thanking me for acting magnanimously, you still want to blame me?”
Just now, when Yun Che was confronting Duke Huai, Jiufang Kui already experienced Yun Che’s glib tongue. He didn’t even lose his composure when he faced Duke Huai, let alone now, when he faced Jiufang Kui.
Jiufang Yu’s injuries were severe and there was a chance that he might be paralyzed in the future. Now that he was also being rebutted by this kid who injured his son, Jiufang Kui was so angry his muscles twitched. He howled, “This was only a sparring competition, yet you acted so viciously… If anything happens to my son, I will take your life!”
“Me acting viciously?” Yun Che narrowed his eyes and laughed, “Just now, when Jiufang Yu maliciously caused Su Zhizhan to be poisoned, what did you say? Heh… How can you blame someone else for your own lack of skills? During battle, are you perhaps hoping for your enemy to treat you more gently?!”
“You!!!” Jiufang Kui’s face instantly darkened to the color of a pig’s liver.
“Jiufang Kui, your son has already lost and instead of quickly bringing him away, you are acting mightily in front of a junior!” Su Xiangnan’s shouted with a voice that was filled with mocking intent, “Your own son was lacking, yet acted so arrogantly. Losing in such an unsightly manner was his own fault. As a father, not only are you not going to discipline him more strictly and treat this with shame, you also plan to exact revenge on a junior? Heh, is the Jiufang Family just a bunch of worthless and laughable people who cannot afford to lose?”
Just now, when Su Zhizhan was poisoned, the arrogant face that Jiufang Kui displayed was something that he remembered in his heart. However, he did not expect to be able to take revenge so quickly. On one hand, he was defending Yun Che… but it was more so to take this opportunity to add insult to injury. Saying all that caused his heart to feel extremely satisfied and comfortable. The anger and resentment he held due to Su Zhizhan’s poisoning was released with that shout.
Chapter 555 - Displaying One’s Slight Skill in Front of an Expert
“Just… you wait!”
Jiufang Yu’s injuries were too severe and treatment could no longer be delayed. Jiufang Kui glared at Yun Che and Su Xiangnan viciously, then brought Jiufang Yu out of the arena. In his heart, he was deeply shocked that Yun Che could severely injure Jiufang Yu in one strike, and at the same time, fully knew that Yun Che had intentionally attacked so heavily. If this were any other occasion, he would not care about his status and would definitely personally cripple Yun Che… However, because the Little Demon Empress was overseeing matters and everyone present was watching intently, he had not choice but to endure.
The entire hall still had a strange atmosphere as everyone who was previously mocking, laughing at, looking down on, jeering and scoffing at Yun Che… now looked at him in a completely differently light.
Su Zhizhan looked surprised as well, the shock causing him to forget the pain of his injuries as he startledly mumbled, “What… What is going on…”
“Looks like we have completely underestimated this Yun Che.” Su Xiangnan looked at Yun Che with an abnormal gaze, saying, “Jiufang Yu was careless, that was why he did not defend, but even so, to severely injure him in one strike… Zhizhan, his strength is probably not below yours!”
Su Zhizhan: “…Could he be using some treasure to hide the level of his profound strength?”
“No!” Su Xiangnan shook his head confidently, “When not using your profound strength, you can indeed rely on treasures to hide or suppress the aura of your profound energy, but once you release your profound energy, there’s no way of hiding it anymore. The profound energy aura of the attack he used on Jiufang Yu was indeed still in the peak of the Sky Profound Realm, it can’t be wrong!”
All the elders who were puzzled as to why Yun Qinghong had sent Yun Che to participate, now stared dumbfoundedly. All the disciples of the young generation also stared widely as they were struck dumb. They had finally started to understand why Yun Qinghong had sent Yun Che to represent the Yun Family.
“Just what is with… this kid’s strength?” Helian Ba bitterly said as he supported his chest, with gritted teeth. He had originally wanted to see Jiufang Yu torture Su Zhizhan with his poison to alleviate his hatred, but it was cured by a mysterious medicine Yun Che gave him. Also, despite his clearly rubbish strength, he defeated Jiufang Yu in one strike…
“Hmph, Jiufang Yu was just too careless and did not defend with any profound energy at all. That must be why he was so badly injured with just one hit. Although this kid’s strength is a little abnormal, if Jiufang Yu were to fight seriously against him, it’s not possible that Yun Che would be his match,” Helian Peng said with a gloomy look.
“This duke thought that the competition was about to end and did not expect you to actually beat Jiufang Yu. That has given this duke a pleasant surprise.” Duke Huai looked at Yun Che and said with a smile, “Your profound strength is only at the Sky Profound Realm but your abilities are comparable to that of a mid-stage Overlord. Such an unbelievable leap between levels and strength is something unheard of. It’s no wonder the Yun Family Patriarch made you his godson.”
“Pleasant surprise?” Yun Che laughed, “I’m afraid, this pleasant surprise… might soon turn into fright for you.”
“Hahahaha!” Duke Huai laughed heartily, “Things that are able to frighten this duke do not exist in this world.”
“Heh…” The corners of Yun Che lips slowly hooked upwards, “Duke Huai, don’t be too sure of what you said because things that will frighten you might suddenly pop out… If I haven’t remember wrongly, there should be five more people from your side that have not fought yet. Who’s next?”
The word “haughty” was clearly written all over Yun Che’s face and the target he was haughty towards was none other than the dignified Duke Huai. Duke Huai laughed intriguingly, “This duke understands that youths with some talent are often arrogant. Looks like defeating the young master of the Jiufang Family has caused your confidence to grow. Do you really think that if it were not because Jiufang Yu had underestimated you due to the difference in profound strength, that you would be able to defeat him so easily?”
Yun Che’s expression did not change, it was still an expression that was too lazy to argue. He looked straight at the east wing seats and casually said, “Who’s coming next?”
After Yun Che shouted, no one from the east wing seats reacted. Xiao Donglai, Chiyang Yanwu, Hui Ye, Yuan Que, Hui Ran, these five were the powerhouses of the east wing seats who had not battled yet, but they did not appear to move. Especially Hui Ye, Yuan Que and Hui Ran, the three of them only glanced at him lazily, obviously looking down on him… despite him crippling Jiufang Yu in one move.
Yun Che laughed, “Duke Huai, looks like your side only has a bunch of cowards. Since that’s the case, why not surrender now? Our Yun Family is very interested in those few kilograms of Purple Veined Divine Crystals.”
Once Yun Che finished, numerous people in the hall burst out laughing. Even an idiot could clearly tell that among the remaining five people, none of them was willing to fight with Yun Che. Hui Ye, Yuan Que, and Hui Ran were the top three members of the Illusory Demon Seven Scions that shook the world. If possible, they would rather not fight Yun Che. As for Xiao Donglai and Chiyang Yanwu, even if they beat Yun Che… Defeating someone in the Sky Profound Realm was not something to be proud of, and if they were to enter a stalemate or even lose… they would become the laughingstock of the entire Demon Imperial City.
Based on the fact that he had crippled Jiufang Yu with one move earlier, the latter was not completely impossible!
There were five powerhouses remaining, including the transcendent existence of the top three members of the Illusory Demon Seven Scions, but only Yun Che was left for the east wing seats. Yet, he was so arrogant that he asked the other side to surrender… Even a respected elder almost could not help it and nearly burst out laughing.
From the Xiao Family seats, someone stood up suddenly, pointed towards Yun Che and laughed, “Yun Che, do you know how much of a clown you are right now? Heh, is it because you just beat Jiufang Yu, and you suddenly now think you’re invincible, and can act so insolently? It’s so laughable. Do you really think you defeated Jiufang Yu because of your own abilities? Jiufang Yu’s defeat was something that he himself was seeking. If he was a bit more serious, any casual attack might have been able to take your life. Fundamentally, he did not lose to you, and instead lost to himself.”
The person who stood up was the Young Patriarch of the Xiao Family, Xiao Donglai. When he finished speaking, a violent gust was raised. Wind sounds resounded, and then a figure abruptly flashed, appearing in front of Yun Che at the speed of which caused many people in the hall to gasp.
“Xiao Family, Xiao Donglai!” Xiao Donglai stretched out his hand and a spiralling lump of profound light appeared in the palm of his hand, “Among the twelve people here, my strength is probably the weakest, but to beat a ridiculous, wild kid like you, two fingers is more than enough.”
Yun Che glanced at him and uttered lifelessly, “Such rubbish.”
Xiao Donglai’s eyes narrowed as he laughed coldly, “Be obedient and take out your weapon, let me shatter it along with your dreams!”
“No need.” Yun Che’s folded his arms in front of his chest as he said with disdain, “You look weaker than that Jiufang Yu. Since he was not qualified for me to use my weapon, for you… hehe, there’s even less need for me to.”
Everyone clearly saw Yun Che’s insolence when he spoke to Duke Huai and knew that he was a master of lawless insolence. However, now that he was experiencing it first hand, Xiao Donglai nearly exploded in rage. His voice started to tremble, “Good… Very good! This is what you asked for!”
Whoosh!!
The cries of the raging wind resounded from every corner of the hall as a heavy gust suddenly brewed. On Xiao Donglai, jade-green profound glow flickered and the figure of a pegasus loomed behind him. Then, Duke Huai sent him a profound energy sound transmission, “Use all your strength to fight, don’t underestimate him!”
Xiao Donglai’s breathing slowed down a little as the profound glow on him surged. Around him, a storm that almost seemed real brewed. When facing Yun Che, who did not use his weapon, he naturally would not use his either. With his palm facing Yun Che, he said with disdain, “Come, let me see how long you can struggle within my stellar storm!”
At the same time, Yun Qinghong’s voice rang beside Yun Che, “The Xiao family is a clan of the Pegasus race, and although their wind profound energy is not really strong in attack, their speed is best among the Twelve Families! Whether it’s their displacement, instantaneous movement or shadow clone technique, they are all extremely mysterious and unpredictable. Be careful!”
Ripppp!!
Just as Yun Qinghong had finished his sound transmission, the howling of a savage storm resounded intensely and the Xiao Donglai who was before him disappeared… replaced by no less than ten afterimages that seemed neither real nor fake, yet somewhat real and fake! Around each afterimage was a spiral of violent wind that could shatter rocks into smithereens.
“Wahhhhhh… what kind of move is this!”
“This is the Xiao Family’s Stellar Shadow Clones! In some respects, the Xiao Family’s profound movement skill can be said to be the best in the world. In terms of speed and movement skills, there are no forces within the entire Illusory Demon Realm that can compare with the Xiao Family.”
“Xiao Donglai used Stellar Shadow Clones immediately after coming up, does he want to defeat Yun Che instantly?”
“More than ten afterimages… and all of them look the same… How can one handle this!!”
Yun Che stood rooted to the ground and didn’t move at all, as though he had been struck dumb with shock. As the afterimages approached, just when they were less than three meters away from Yun Che, the most outer right afterimage suddenly accelerated, swiftly approaching Yun Che with lightning speed…
Rippppp!!
Even though the air was being ripped apart violently, the afterimage did not disappear… However, what Xiao Donglai managed to rip was merely the air and an afterimage. After a short moment, he swiftly used an instantaneous movement technique as his heart twitched at the same time… His Xiao Family was the best in Illusory Demon Realm when using afterimages, but the afterimage attack that he used immediately after coming on stage, which shocked the whole hall… had only hit his opponent’s afterimage!!!
This was simply the greatest humiliation.
When he turned around, he saw Yun Che rushing towards him. As he approached, his body suddenly shook and Xiao Donglai’s vision blurred for an instant. Then, he saw that there were now four images of Yun Che in front of him. They rushed towards him from the front, top, left and right respectively. Seeing this, his eyes sunk and he laughed coldly to himself, Previously, when I let you pass me using your afterimage, that was because I wasn’t prepared. Yet, you still dare to flaunt your afterimage in front our Xiao Family… You’re courting death!!!
Being the family that was focused on movement skills, the Xiao Family was naturally adept at countering other movement skills… among them, they were the most adept at countering shadow clone techniques. With the violent gust blowing within the entire arena, he could rely on the wind profound energy to differentiate the real and fake afterimages. However, in the next instant, Xiao Donglai’s eyes widened because based on the feedback of his wind profound energy…
All four figures of Yun Che were his real body!!!
How… How was this possible!
Xiao Donglai was at a loss and didn’t dare to defend haphazardly. Instead, he retreated with great speed. In terms of speed, he strongly believed that among the young generation, no one could possibly match him. However, as he retreated, he found that Yun Che’s figure was coming closer and closer, and as Yun Che neared, three of his other figures disappeared and his actual body was now not even three feet from him…
The Xiao Family’s speed and profound movement skills were indeed the best within Illusory Demon Realm.
But, in terms of instantaneous movement and afterimages, how could they compare to Star God’s Broken Shadow?
As for speed, how could they compare to Extreme Mirage Lightning?
When placed in front of Yun Che, the Xiao Family’s biggest advantage was like displaying one’s slight skill in front of an expert!
Seeing Yun Che approaching closer and closer, Xiao Donglai’s eyes widened again as though he had seen a ghost in broad daylight. Luckily, he reacted quickly, utilizing all of the profound energy within him and pushed his palms out intensely, shooting out two gigantic whirlwinds, which looked like two gigantic dragons dancing in midair, straight at Yun Che.
Yun Che threw his palms out at nearly the same time as his entire body shined with an ethereal ice-blue profound radiance… Following his advancement into the Sky Profound Realm, his initial restriction on the Frozen End Divine Arts due to his lack of profound strength had naturally been overcome as well. He broke through the stage of “Frozen End Profound Seal”, and was only half a step away from the sixth stage, “Frozen End Heart Seal”.
Crack-crack-crack-crack…
When the violent windstorm came in contact with the glow of the Frozen End, the clear sounds of something freezing was instantly heard. One breath later, the pale-green wind spirals turned pale-blue and after two breaths of time, the wind spirals were completely sealed by ice and just remained in place, turning into two tornado-shaped ice sculptures.
Within the hall, the audience’s eyes either stared widely or seemed as though they were about to pop out from seeing the most unbelievable scene in this world.
“This kid, actually practices ice profound skills… B-b-but… what type of profound skill is this, it’s actually able to seal even wind profound energy!!! T-t-this…”
Mu Yubai had already stood up and was shocked into incoherence. The Mu Family profound skill was an ice profound skill that had been passed down for ten of thousands of years. Being the Young Patriarch of the Mu Family, he was naturally an expert regarding ice profound skills and had practiced them to the extreme. He could seal many objects in this world in ice… However, this was the first time he had seen someone using ice to seal the profound energy released by another person!!!
If he had seen the day when Xia Qingyue used the Frozen End Divine Arts to seal Phoenix Flames, his jaw would probably have dropped out of amazement.
Chapter 556 - Xiao Donglai’s Huge Loss
Everyone gathered within the Demon Imperial Hall was broadly knowledgeable as they were the top experts from all of Demon Illusory Realm. However, not one of them had seen profound skills being sealed in ice, and they were shocked stupefied. Some people even stood up in surprise and repeatedly checked to ensure that what they were seeing was not an illusion.
Bang, bang, bang!!
Following Yun Che’s aggression, the ice-sealed storm shattered as though it were normal ice. Xiao Donglai was so shocked that he had lost any form of composure and stared blankly at the quickly approaching Yun Che. As his arms shook, a longspear appeared in his hands, then swept up a huge whirlwind. With a loud roar, he shot the spear viciously at Yun Che, and the figure of a mighty pegasus, spreading its wings and howling emerged at the tip of the spear.
Ripppp!!
The longspear shot straight through Yun Che’s figure, but all it tore apart was an afterimage. Xiao Donglai was instantly stunned… Given that his senses and perception had been thoroughly trained by his wind profound skill, he still did not detect when Yun Che had used his instantaneous movement. Luckily, his reaction speed was fast; he withdrew his profound energy at top speed, then guarded his entire body.
BOOOM!!!
As though an extremely heavy sledgehammer had been mercilessly smashed onto his back, Xiao Donglai’s back instantly concaved deeply, and the profound energy that he had gathered to defend his body shook violently, almost completely dissipating… At this moment, he finally understood why Jiufang Yu had been knocked out and bled from every orifice on his head in just one blow! If he had not guarded his body with all his profound energy, such a frightening blow would definitely severely injure him… Even more so, Jiufang Yu, who did not bother to defend, had received such a blow directly to his chest.
In the midst of the deafening noise, Xiao Donglai flew away like a bullet, spinning around several times in midair before he barely stabilized his body using wind profound energy, and landed at the edges of the arena. As he landed, he staggered and directly half-knelt onto the ground. His face had become exceptionally pale. Following a gulping sound, he forcefully swallowed the blood that had already rushed to his throat.
And before he had the chance to stand up, he heard the howling of the wind in front of him. As he raised his head, he saw Yun Che’s ice-cold look… which was not more than thirty meters away from him.
Facing Yun Che now, how would Xiao Donglai dare to have any more scorn and arrogance? He gritted his teeth, ignoring the internal injuries he suffered and condensed his profound energy. He grabbed his longspear tightly, but before he could completely stand up, profound light flashed under his feet and a huge Tree of Frozen End sprouted from the ground, growing quickly and within one breath of time, it had towered into the sky until it reached the top of the hall.
Frozen End’s fourth stage —— Tree of Frozen End!
The branches of ice and leaves of snow of the huge Tree of Frozen End wrapped around Xiao Donglai densely and he could only struggle for a short while before being completely sealed in ice. Even though he had quickly utilized all the profound energy within him, he could no longer move one bit. It was as though cold energy that came from an icy hell had entered his body as he felt all the blood in his body rapidly freezing over.
“Good… bye!”
The corners of Yun Che’s lips hooked up in his mutter, and he gradually opened his outstretched hands…
Ping!!
The Tree of Frozen End suddenly exploded and the skies were filled with ice crystals which caused the temperature in the hall to drop drastically. Even those who sat at the corners of the hall shivered intensely due to the cold. Among the dream-like ice crystals, the completely frozen Xiao Donglai flew out without struggling, just like a lifeless corpse, and even when he had landed onto the ground, he still did not move.
The hall was now silent once again. The audience that was previously struck dumb by Yun Che, who had crippled Jiufang Yu with one blow, was stunned yet again… it could even be said that they had been shocked senseless.
When he severely injured Jiufang Yu in one move before, they could acknowledge it as Jiufang Yu’s carelessness in not preparing and defending while also assuming that Yun Che’s specialty was strength. Ninety-nine percent of the audience believed that if they were to fight head on, Yun Che would never be Jiufang Yu’s match… After all, Jiufang Yu was from the Guardian Families that had a ten thousand year heritage. In terms of foundation and profound arts, Yun Che could not possibly compare with him.
However, Yun Che’s fight with Xiao Donglai was a true and honest confrontation! Furthermore, once Xiao Donglai had entered the arena, he had used the Xiao Family’s most dangerous afterimage attack but that was countered by Yun Che’s own afterimage attack! The full-force storm attack that he had executed was sealed in ice by Yun Che. In his panic, he had used his weapon, but it was still easily defeated by Yun Che. Even the speed that the Xiao Family boasted to be the fastest within the Illusory Demon Realm was quickly obliterated by Yun Che!
Not only was this round an honest confrontation, Xiao Donglai had used all the advantages he possessed, yet was still defeated by Yun Che… and it was a tragic defeat!
Numerous people were shocked, numerous people were baffled, numerous people were dumbfounded, and even more people could not believe their eyes.
In the Mu family seats, even Mu Feiyan had stood up… and he himself did not know when he had done so. Seeing Yun Che, who was walking leisurely back to the edge of the arena, his beard trembled intensely as he said in a daze, “This kid is unbelievable… unbelievable.”
“What kind of profound art is he using? There’s actually such a frightening ice profound art that I have actually never heard of in this world!” Mu Yuqing exclaimed in shock.
Mu Yubai shook his head, “Huh, our Mu family have always boasted that our ice profound skills are unrivalled in this world, but compared to this kid… just based on the fact that he could encase profound energy in ice, our family’s profound skill already cannot be compared to his. Tch… Someone in the Sky Profound Realm that can match a mid-stage Overlord, such speed, such a movement skill, such an overbearing ice profound art, and he even cured… This kid simply has too many secrets on him! No! Even if it costs my life, I must make him my sworn brother!”
“Big brother… is actually… so powerful.” Xiao Yun had his mouth agape in shock.
“Husband, is… he really our son?” Mu Yurou grabbed Yun Qinghong’s hand as her emotions went from nervousness to shock to being so agitated that she had nearly lost control and spoke incoherently. This child that heavens had returned to this couple gave them far too many surprises. She felt that she was still in a dream, and the deep relief and pride caused her tears to well up uncontrollably.
“Yes… he is our son.” Yun Qinghong nodded strongly as his quivering eyes revealed a deep sense of emotion and pride.
The various Yun Family elders were all flushed and even the three Grand Elders, Yun Jiang, Yun Xi and Yun He, couldn’t help but nod. The Yun Family disciples who previously snorted surreptitiously and normally looked down on Yun Che in secret were now so ashamed that they wanted to hide their heads.
Xiao Donglai was carried back to the Xiao Family seats by the Xiao Family members and at this point, everyone from the Xiao Family was staring at Yun Che. However, those were not looks of anger, but looks of shock and disbelief. Yun Che had completely overwhelmed Xiao Donglai in terms of speed and movement skills, which were what the Xiao Family had always been the most proud of. They were so shocked that they could not even shout a phrase back in anger or retaliation.
The members of the Jiufang family who were voicing out their discontent and unhappiness over Jiufang Yu’s defeat had all shut up as well, no longer able to say that Jiufang Yu had only lost due to his carelessness. Jiufang Yu and Xiao Donglai’s strength were around the same level, so since Yun Che had defeated Xiao Donglai in a mere five rounds of exchanges, even if Jiufang Yu had fought with his all… the result would have also been a huge loss under Yun Che’s hands!
They had completely predicted Yun Che’s strength wrongly.
No! It was just that Yun Che’s strength had completely defied their logic!
If one could defeat someone who was one level higher in the Tyrant Profound Realm, he would have had to be an unparallelled genius. The ultimate profound handle of the Yun Family could, at its limits, allow them to release strength two Tyrant Profound levels higher than their own. There was a huge gap between the strength of each level of the Tyrant Profound Realm and the massiveness of this gap was something that talent could not easily overcome, unlike in the Spirit, Earth and Sky Profound Realms…
An early stage Overlord being on par with a mid-stage Overlord was already like a legend that had been actualized by no more than five people throughout the entire history of the Illusory Demon Realm.
As for a Throne being on par with an Overlord, that had never been seen or heard before.
Something like a person in the Sky Profound Realm being on par with someone in the Tyrant Profound Realm… and it was the middle levels of the Tyrant Profound Realm, was something that had never occurred before in all of history. If it were not for them seeing it for themselves today, even if it were told that by the most respectable person in the world, they would never have believed it.
But such a person was standing in front of them now. With a profound strength at only the tenth level of the Sky Profound Realm, he had beaten Xiao Donglai who was in the fourth level of the Tyrant Profound Realm… Furthermore it had only been five exchanges!
No one could imagine just how Yun Che could release such frightening strength when he was only in the Sky Profound Realm. Such a bizarre leap in strength was something that could only be described as “heaven defying”. At the very least, one must possess immeasurable talent to become capable of fighting across levels… Could one’s talent truly be this great, to such an extent?!
Duke Huai’s expression stiffened. Defeating Xiao Donglai head-on and severely injuring the defenseless Jiu Fangyu were two completely different concepts. His profound strength could not be faked and his strength was made clear in everyone’s eyes. At this point, even Duke Huai’s heart was completely filled with shock.
Hui Ran, who had always been looking down, uninterested, finally looked up and glanced at Yun Che He snorted, “Hmph, seems a bit interesting now.”
“This brat’s strength is indeed a bit exaggerated. It seems like Chiyang Yanwu might not necessarily be his match.” The number two of the Illusory Demon Seven Scions, Duke Yuan Que, commented with a smile as he narrowed his eyes.
Behind him, Duke Hui Ye looked sullen as he stared at Yun Che for a while before laughing coldly, “This duke also hopes that Chiyang Yanwu loses to him as well. If that happens, this duke can personally… cripple him!!”
“Oh!” Duke Yuan Que turned his head around and said, “Speaking of which, this Yun Che brat seemed to have spoiled your grand plans a month ago. This is indeed a great chance. Heh, this duke originally thought that we wouldn’t have to appear on stage, but it looks like this game has suddenly become very interesting. I hope that this brat won’t be burnt into ashes by Chiyang Yanwu’s flames, otherwise, it would spoil your fun.”
“Don’t worry.” Duke Hui Ye laughed eerily, “Falling into Chiyang Yanwu’s hands is probably not much more comfortable than falling into my hands. That woman is extremely vicious. Even though this duke would lose the joy of doing it personally, I can at least save my energy and wouldn’t have to dirty my hands!”
Chapter 557 - Chiyang Yanwu
“If nothing goes wrong, Che’er’s next opponent is probably the Chiyang Family’s daughter,” Mu Yurou softly said, her face revealing some worry.
“No need to worry.” Yun Qinghong placed his hands on Mu Yurou’s hands and consoled, “Although the strength of the Chiyang Family lass is far superior to that of Jiufang Yu and Xiao Donglai, Che’er has not used his full strength yet. Even now, he has not used his weapon.”
“Dad, do you know what weapon Big Brother uses? I have never seen Big Brother use his weapon and always thought that he wasn’t proficient in using them,” Xiao Yun asked.
Yun Qinghong shook his head, recalling the heavy whistling sound that came from when Yun Che was in the practice room, he replied softly, “It’s not that your big brother is not proficient in weapons, if I haven’t guessed wrongly, he probably specializes in some sort of heavy weapon.”
“Heavy weapon?” Xiao Yun stared widely.
“It is not because your Big Brother is careless that he has not utilized his weapon until now; it is probably because the weapon he specializes in is very taxing to use.” Yun Qinghong looked at Yun Che who was on stage and calmly said, “It’s obvious that he is considering the circumstances ahead and is trying to minimize his energy consumption. Naturally, only when he feels his opponent is strong enough to threaten him would he take out his weapon.”
At this point, a fiery-red figure was now standing in front of Yun Che.
It was the figure of a gorgeous, tall young woman. She had scarlet hair and even her beige-colored skin had a hidden tint of red. She was Chiyang Yanwu of the Chiyang Family!
When Chiyang Yanwu went onto the stage, all the boys in the hall instantly cheered. Although her looks were considered pretty, they were not divine. However, she dressed wildly and seductively. Her top was a short, tight-fitting leather shirt and her bottom was a pair of short and tight high-waisted leather pants. The outline of her breasts, arms, stomach and thighs were completely revealed and many young men’s eyes sparkled as they salivated upon seeing them.
Chiyang Yanwu was obviously very used to such attention and noises as she held her head high, acting noble like a cat and arrogant like a peacock.
Being from a race of true dragons, the Chiyang Family had always possessed the nobility and arrogance of their bloodline. Among the Twelve Families, the Chiyang Family’s strength was ranked third and only paled in comparison to the Helian and the Su Family. As Chiyang Family’s strongest within the young generation, Chiyang Yanwu was even a female, and the only daughter of the Patriarch Chiyang Bailie; no matter her identity, race, or strength, she naturally had the rights to be arrogant. Even when facing Yun Che who had easily defeated Jiufang Yu and Xiao Donglai, her arrogance… or perhaps more accurately, insolence, did not lessen even one bit.
“Two useless men, simply lost our Guardian Families’ face.” Chiyang Yanwu’s scarlet eyebrows were upturned and although she was muttering to herself, her voice was not soft. Jiufang Yu and Xiao Donglai could clearly hear what she had just said. She removed the scarlet whip from her waist and swung it, which caused sparks to fly and invoked a deafening “PAH” sound, “You are called Yun Che? If you do not want to lose too repulsively, honestly take out your weapon. This princess does not want to be bothered with bullying an unarmed man.”
Every word Chiyang Yanwu uttered was filled with deep arrogance and Yun Che could detect the aura of a true dragon from her body. The dragon was the king of all beasts and no matter human or demon, under such an aura, it did not matter how strong someone was; they would instinctively feel a sense of fear… However, Yun Che naturally would not, because in him was the bloodline of the Primordial Azure Dragon. Simply comparing the dragon breath, the Scorching Sunfire Dragon was not even fit to compare with the Primordial Azure Dragon.
Facing the arrogant Chiyang Yanwu, Yun Che did not take out his weapon. Instead, he folded his arms in front of his chest and leisurely said, “I’m the opposite, I like to bully girls holding weapons while barehanded.”
“Hehehehe…” Yun Che’s posture caused Chiyang Yanwu to laugh. Her laughter was clear and ear-piercing. She swung her whip and said with contempt, “Yun Che, do you think that just by simply defeating two male trash, you can act so insolently in front of me, Chiyang Yanwu? In my, Chiyang Yanwu’s, entire life, no one of the same level has ever been able to beat me. When you die miserably later, don’t say that I didn’t warn you!”
Yun Che crooked his mouth and said, “You’re a lady and yet you’re born so arrogant that you’ve barely looked at anyone without conceit. Looks like your family never disciplined you properly. Never mind, today, let me help your family discipline you a little. At least, next time when you talk to people, you’ll be more reserved!”
“Discipline me? In the entire Illusory Demon Realm, there is not a man capable of disciplining me.” Chiyang Yanwu’s eyes narrowed as she said, “As for you, you dare speak in such a manner towards me. I shall make you kneel down and beg for forgiveness today!”
“This Chiyang lass’ temper is really as the rumours say,” Yun Qinghong plainly said.
“She is the sole daughter of Chiyang Bailie and also the strongest from the current generation of the Chiyang Family. Within the entire Demon Imperial City, there is no one of the same age, male or female, who is her match. Furthermore, with the temperament of a teenage girl, her behaving superciliously was only a natural thing.”
“With such temperament, she would suffer losses sooner or later,” Yun Qinghong calmly said. After he spoke, he frowned slightly and sent a sound transmission to Yun Che, “Che’er, don’t underestimate your opponent. Your opponent, Chiyang Yanwu, possesses the bloodline of a true dragon and was thus innately born with a strong physique and the power of dragon flames. The whip in her hand is known as the ‘Fiend Dragon Solar Whip.’ Although it looks simple, it is actually a Tyrant Profound Artifact and one of the greatest artifacts the Chiyang Family possesses. Even without injecting profound energy into it, it can move mountains, crack boulders and even fill the skies with dragon flame… You must be careful not to get hit by it!”
Yun Che nodded slightly in reply to Yun Qinghong’s sound transmission and when he looked, Chiyang Yanwu had already flown into the air. Her body ignited a deep, purple dragon flame which soared into the air and in an instant, completely covered the entire ceiling of the hall; it was as though a curtain of purple flames had been pulled down from the ceiling.
Although Chiyang Yanwu acted and spoke arrogantly, when she attacked, she already used nearly all her strength. It seemed that she didn’t dare to act to carelessly and look down on Yun Che, who had defeated Jiufang Yu and Xiao Donglai. Seeing how she attacked, members of the Chiyang Family heaved a sigh of relief… Even though Chiyang Yanwu was usually very arrogant, she did indeed have the strength to be so. Since she had used her full strength, there was no reason why she would lose to Yun Che… Furthermore, she still wielded the Fiend Dragon Solar Whip that even a high-level overlord would be worried about!
“Yun Che, open your doggy eyes and let me show you the difference between us!!!”
Whoosh!!!
When Chiyang Yanwu swung the Fiend Dragon Solar Whip in her hand, numerous flames shot out, which turned into swift, purple-colored flame dragons. Along with the dragon flame that filled the sky, her whip rushed towards Yun Che, with her figure followed swiftly behind the dragon flame. An extremely deep, purple flame was ignited on the entire Fiend Dragon Solar Whip.
The air around the flame dragons distorted severely and the tens of thousands of people behind Yun Che all felt a scorching heat wave approaching them, which nearly burnt their organs, causing them to scream in shock.
Although they were so far away, the effects were still so obvious; it was not hard to imagine just how frightening the dragon flame was.
Yun Che’s hair and shirt were swept up by the scorching heat waves, yet he did not retreat one step. Swinging his hands, his entire body shined with a blue glow as he released the Frozen End Divine Arts with full strength.
Crack. Crack. Crack. Crack. Crack…
The sound of the ice materializing was extremely ear-piercing and the twenty-odd flame dragons all froze over quickly when they were within fifteen meters from Yun Che. Following the spread of the blue glow, the solidifying of the ice spread at a frightening pace, turning each purple-colored flame dragon into blue-colored ice dragons.
“Damn! Even… Even dragon flame can be frozen!” Upon seeing this scene, Mu Yubai directly jumped up. If even he had such a reaction, one could only imagine the level of shock the other members of the Mu Family were experiencing.
This was also the first time Chiyang Yanwu had experienced such a scene in her life. She was slightly stunned, and her expression changed faintly. With a shout, the dragon flame once again ignited and the figure of a scarlet dragon appeared prominently behind her. Then, among the dragon flame in the air, three of the flame dragons forcefully broke out of the ice seal and rushed straight at Yun Che.
Boom!
The hall shook, as though three meteors had fallen from the sky. Flames soared upwards and among the exploding flames, Yun Che jumped to a great height. Just as he stabilized himself, a scarlet figure flashed in front of him and the Fiend Dragon Solar Whip filled the sky with whip shadows. The whip shadows brought along scattering purple flames that covered Yun Che as though it were pouring rain.
Yun Che focused his gaze and he used Star God’s Broken Shadow to move instantly, causing all of the whip shadows to hit nothing but thin air. Yun Che attacked with one hand, sending out a frozen lotus that instantly passed through the dense dragon flame and whip shadows, then exploded in front of Chiyang Yanwu’s chest.
Ping!!
Chiyang Yan backflipped and lost balance, but she still forcefully swung the Fiend Dragon Solar Whip in her hands. The whip itself was three meters long but at that instant, it suddenly grew to thirty meters long and lashed out viciously onto the body of a shocked Yun Che.
The whip in Chiyang Yanwu’s hands was the Fiend Dragon Solar Whip; it could even a mountain in one lash. The sound produced when the whip lashed onto Yun Che was so deafening that everyone’s hearts pounded violently. Yun Che was also, without a doubt, sent flying by this lash.
“Che’er!” Mu Yurou stood up instantly and anxiously shouted. Regarding the Chiyang Family’s Fiendish Dragon Solar Whip, she was very clear on how frightening a lash was.
Yun Qinghong quickly held her hand as he gradually frowned.
Seeing Yun Che being sent flying by the lash, the entire hall cried with shock and members of the Chiyang Family smiled slightly. Previously, when the Scorching Sun Dragon Flame was being largely encased in ice by Yun Che, they were shocked. However, no matter how eerie his ice profound skill was, this lash would cause him to at least lose half his life. During this competition, Yun Che had indeed caused a small commotion, but now it was time for everything to end.
However, just as their smiles appeared, their faces had become serious once more.
Yun Che, who had been sent flying by the lash, did not roll on the floor pathetically like they had expected. Instead, he spun in midair and landed casually. The lash landed on the right side of his back and the clothing there was completely torn, revealing a foot-long red mark on his skin, which was more white and tender than a woman’s. His hand stretched to his back and touched the red mark as he continuously hissed, “Sss… Ow! Owowowow… It’s really painful!”
The previous cries of surprise instantly disappeared as everyone had been dumbfounded, especially the Chiyang Family, whose members stared with mouths agape, their chins about to hit the floor.
Chapter 558 - No Surrendering, Okay~?
Not only was the Fiend Dragon Solar Whip’s name was well-known within Demon Imperial City, it was also reputed in the whole Illusory Demon Realm. An Overlord wielding the Fiend Dragon Solar Whip could guide the power of the Fiend Dragon and the strength of the sun, and could easily sweep mountains flat, even break fine iron into pieces. If it were used to whip the body of a mid-stage Overlord, even with the lightest strength, it would cause a deep bloody scar or break a large surface of bone and take half their life away.
But on Yun Che’s body, there was only an extra red mark… on the red mark, not a single drop of blood was seen!
Everyone who had heard the great name “Fiend Dragon Solar Whip” was thinking the same five words in their mind: how could this be possible!
Was it possible that Yun Che’s body was even stiffer than ten thousand year-old fine iron?!
Or… did Chiyang Yanwu fail to use enough strength just now?
This was perhaps the only explanation.
They never would’ve thought that not only did Yun Che’s body have the Dragon God’s bloodline, he also had the protection of the strength of heaven and earth, and had been through a tempering thousands of times scarier than hell. Those eighteen months on the Primordial Profound Ark… even though eighteen months were short to a strong, powerful profound practitioner, those eighteen months of tempering for Yun Che’s body were still incomparable to thousands of years for ordinary profound practitioners. Within those eighteen months, Yun Che’s profound strength had advanced by leaps and bounds, and his body was refined until he was almost to the extent of abnormal. At the moment, his profound strength was far from the realm of Monarch, but even if his body withstood an all-out attack from an early-stage Monarch, it would be impossible to take his life… and it would even be unknown whether or not he would be seriously injured from it.
His healing ability was so strong that even late-stage Monarchs would find it difficult to attain.
Besides, this was only a Tyrant Profound Weapon in the hands of a mid-stage Overlord.
It surprised him a little that this Fiend Dragon Solar Whip was able to leave a red mark on him… Of course, what he was surprised about was different than what everyone else was surprised about.
“You little hussy! I had been merciful to you, but you dare to lash me… If today I don’t lash you back, my last name will not be Yun!”
Yun Che gritted his teeth, flew up, and initiated an attack on Chiyang Yanwu. Dozens of Frozen End lotuses bloomed in the air, spinning as they pounded toward Chiyang Yanwu.
As the master of the Fiend Dragon Solar Whip, Chiyang Yanwu knew best about the power of the Tyrant Profound Weapon in her hand. When she saw Yun Che, who had merely complained that it hurt without bleeding a single drop after getting struck by the whip, it was the first time in her life that she felt so unsettled and worried… Usually, she would drag her father Chiyang Bailie to fight and exchange pointers. This whip on Chiyang Bailie’s body, was a similar red mark like that.
His body… for it to be comparable to Father’s…
That’s impossible! Absolutely impossible! He was only about twenty years old, and he seemed to be younger than herself… And her own father, was a Monarch who could look down on the heavens, how could they be compared with each other!
It must be because that lash wasn’t solid enough out of hurry… That must be it!
Chiyang Yanwu raised her head up high, held tightly onto her Fiend Dragon Solar Whip, as flames rose from her entire body. Following her deep roar, red scales appeared clearly on the back of both of her hands and above her forehead. Even her hair grew out speedily; in a blink of an eye, it was three times longer than before, and danced freely in the rising dragon flames.
The dragon aura around her, along with the flame aura, was completely doubled from before.
At the same time, the flames on her body quickly spread. Within the time of one short breath, it radiated all over the range of the arena, and turned the arena a deep purple. It was as if they fell into a purple flame purgatory, and in this purgatory, hundreds of red flame dragons quickly formed and danced carelessly.
“This is the Chiyang Family’s Scorching Sun Domain. Chiyang Yanwu is going to use all her strength!” Someone shouted with surprise from the sidelines.
“I have already completely mastered my Scorching Sun Domain! You… are not even a small Throne, so it’s impossible for you to use your domain arts to cancel out my domain. In this limited arena area, if you leave the domain, you will lose, but if you stay in it, you will die!” Chiyang Yanwu yelled as she laughed coldly while the Scorching Sun Domain built up. Yun Che’s ice lotuses all melted before they could touch her body.
Fire-attribute domains were mostly attack type domains, and the Scorching Sun Domain was no exception. The high temperature within the domain alone was enough to melt profound iron, and the fire dragons dancing chaotically in the domain could directly take the enemy into the deep abyss of death… But, forget about Chiyang Yanwu who was only a mid-stage Overlord, even if a high-level Monarch who could look down upon all of Illusory Demon Realm had cast this domain, it couldn’t hurt a single hair on Yun Che’s head.
Yun Che stood in the same spot, silently watching Chiyang Yanwu waste her energy. He reached out his palm, and a blue light suddenly flashed in the center of his palm.
“Tree of Frozen End!!”
In the center of the arena, which was also the center of Scorching Sun Domain, a large, sturdy, and strong Tree of Frozen End rose from the ground, growing at an incredible speed within the dark purple flame domain. A severe frozen aura also followed as the Tree of Frozen End grew and spread. Even though it was growing in a world of flames and high temperature, it insolently pressured the high temperature beneath itself, forcefully freezing the fire and the dancing dragons… it even abruptly tore open a large hole in the center of the Scorching Sun Domain.
“Wh…what?!” The Chiyang Family’s Patriarch Chiyang Bailie stood up immediately as he stared at that ice-crystal tree in the middle of the Scorching Sun Domain with an expression full of shock. That ice crystal was clearly releasing an aura of the Sky Profound Realm, but the thickness was no less than that of a mid-stage Overlord; its profound energy aura was almost the same as the Scorching Domain. But even though they were even, it was standing arrogantly in the Scorching Sun Domain.
The only explanation was that the level of this ice-attribute profound art was far stronger than their Chiyang Clan’s Dragon Flame!
“This… this is unbelievable.” Mu Yubai widened his eyes, and even his voice was trembling, “What kind of profound art is this! This strong ice-attribute profound art, I felt that its level isn’t lower than the Demon Emperor Clan’s Golden Crow Flame… Why haven’t I ever heard of this before?!”
“This Yun Che, what background does he have?! He only used one profound skill and completely dissolved Chiyang Yanwu’s Scorching Sun Domain!” Many of the audience lost control and yelled in surprise.
Even though they were in the Scorching Sun Domain, what Chiyang Yanwu felt was a wave of piercing cold. That large Tree of Frozen End was standing right in the sea of flames just like that, without any sign of melting; on the contrary, it was slowly starting to swallow up the Scorching Sun Domain. Her pupils shrank continuously. Then, she suddenly gritted her teeth, shouted, and swung the Fiend Dragon Solar Whip, abruptly whipping it towards Yun Che.
It was clear that her Scorching Sun Dragon Flames were losing miserably in front of Yun Che’s Frozen End Divine Arts, so if she wanted to beat Yun Che now, she could only rely on the Fiend Dragon Solar Whip in her hand.
She swung her wrist, made a slight movement, and instantly brought a whole sky of red whip shadows. Yun Che had experienced the power of the whip just now, so of course he wouldn’t dare let himself get hit by it… whipping his body was one thing, but if he wasn’t cautious and it whipped on his face, then it would be no joke!
If Yun Che had his heavy sword in his hand when facing these ten thousand whip shadows, he would only have needed to defend it by placing his sword horizontally without even needing to open his eyes, but with his bare hands, he naturally couldn’t be as careless. He immediately retreated backwards, and moved quickly under the shrouding of the whip shadows. Afterimages swept one after another, Star God’s Broken Shadow was used in coordination with Extreme Mirage Lightning, and Chiyang Yanwu’s whip shadows blotted out the sky. But after continuous thousands of whip shadows, none touched his hair at all, and the crowd offstage were all stunned seeing this.
“His profound art and movement skills are all incredibly strong.” Yun Qinghong couldn’t help but be deeply impressed, “Yun Che’s master must be remarkable.”
“Indeed.” Mu Yurou’s hand was still on the location of her heart, but there was no nervous expression on her face, only surprise, joy, and pride. She knew that it was already impossible for Yun Che to lose this battle.
“Flame Dragon’s Fury!!”
Maintaining the Scorching Sun Domain while also attacking with all her strength, caused Chiyang Yanwu to already be out of breath with flushed red cheeks. On the other hand, even though Yun Che had been dodging this whole time, he was calm and didn’t seem to be tired at all. Chiyang Yanwu gritted her teeth angrily, and the silhouette of a dragon above her body flashed. The sky was overrun with the shadows of whips overlapping each other, which then transformed into a thirty-three meter-long furious flame dragon that angrily crashed towards Yun Che.
BOOM!!!
The flame was more than thirty-three meters high, and the incredibly rock-hard profound jade floor was actually cracked with a dark deep scar. Yun Che flashed with speed into the air and dodged this attack, but following this, he felt the surrounding Scorching Sun Domain suddenly riot. He raised his head, then saw the entire Scorching Sun Domain completely collapse in an instant. All the purple flames and flame dragons within the domain came towards him crazily.
“Che’er, be careful!” Mu Yurou’s body tensed, as she yelled out of nervousness.
This woman, actually plays dirty… Yun Che scoffed in disdain. His arms opened, and the blue light on his body flickered. The area surrounding him up to thirty-three meters away immediately became a frost-blue world of ice. As soon as any of the purple flames and flame dragons approached, they were immediately frozen. Not a single lick of flame could touch his body.
Just as he was supporting the Frozen End Divine Arts, the Fiend Dragon Solar Whip came from one of the corners of the surrounding sea of flame and instantly crossed the thirty-three meter distance. The tip of the whip was like a poisonous snake sticking out its tongue, as it aimed straight for Yun Che’s right eye.
Yun Che had already experienced the Fiend Dragon Solar Whip’s extension, so he was prepared for it long ago. However, once noticing where the whip was attacking, he tightened his eyebrows, and fury started burning in his heart.
Originally, he thought this woman was only arrogant… he didn’t think that her heart would be so vicious!
This time Yun Che didn’t dodge. He reached out his palms with lightning speed and directly grabbed on the Fiend Dragon Solar Whip that was lashing out to him. Seeing Yun Che’s actions, Chiyang Yanwu stuttered, and then started laughing coldly, “It’s your own death wish!”
PAH!!
A loud shocking sound. The Fiend Dragon Solar Whip hit right in the center of Yun Che’s palm, and under everyone’s shocked gazes, he just grabbed onto it. In the next instant, the Fiend Dragon Solar Whip suddenly burned with purple flames, and it immediately spread onto Yun Che’s entire arm. Before Chiyang Yanwu had even gotten the chance to laugh proudly, the purple flame on Yun Che’s arm suddenly extinguished. It didn’t matter how much profound energy she tried to instill, it wasn’t able to burn again.
Yun Che grabbed onto the other end of the Fiend Dragon Solar Whip, then forcefully wrapped and jerked on his end. With his strength so great, how could Chiyang Yanwu defend? On top of that, she had already exhausted a large amount of her profound energy. Under this strength that she couldn’t defend against, she lost hold of the Fiend Dragon Solar Whip. It made a red half-arc in the air, got grabbed by Yun Che into his hands, and he immediately whipped it down.
Having lost her weapon, Chiyang Yanwu was suddenly at a loss. When the Fiend Dragon Solar Whip came towards her in the air, she screamed in surprise, and tried to dodge backwards with all her strength. The Fiend Dragon Solar Whip missed, but she didn’t have the chance to take a breath before a current of cold air suddenly came from underneath her feet, causing her entire body to stiffen. Immediately after, another Tree of Frozen End started growing speedily, its ice-crystal leaves and branches spreading and trapping her within.
At this moment, Yun Che swung out the whip that was in his hands again. It went through the layers of ice-crystal leaves and branches with extreme precision, and severely whipped her bottom that was wrapped tightly by her fire-red leather pants, producing a crisp, loud “PAH” sound.
“This whip is for when you whipped me before!” Yun Che said viciously as he reeled the whip back.
The sound of the crisp whipping resounded in the entire hall, followed by Chiyang Yanwu’s scream. The hall which was originally noisy immediately became quiet. Everyone was completely stunned. Especially the young generation’s elites in Demon Imperial City; their eyes widened so much their eyeballs almost popped out.
Chiyang Yanwu, who never put any man in her eyes, the most arrogant Chiyang Princess in the entire Demon Imperial City, was in this Demon Imperial Hall, with everyone watching… being whipped on the butt by someone!!
And the sound of the whip was so loud!
Yun Che naturally wouldn’t use too much strength, so he only whipped off her protective profound energy to hurt her a little, but the pants weren’t even ripped from the whip. Chiyang Yanwu’s bottom felt hot, spicy pain, but even if it hurt ten times more, it couldn’t be compared to a tenth of a thousandth of the humiliation she was feeling in her heart. From when she was a child to when she grew up, Chiyang Yanwu was held in the palms of the entire family. She was admired by every men and women. No matter where she went, she was a proud peacock, bearing countless men’s ashamed gazes of inferiority as well as gazes of reverence… but today, a man who was holding her whip, whipped her butt in front of everyone.
“Yun Che, you bas…”
Chiyang Yanwu didn’t even finish yelling when Yun Che whipped again. “PAH” as it whipped on the other half of her butt.
“This whip is for when you wanted to viciously destroy my eye before!” Yun Che’s hand swung, and dashingly pulled back the whip. Even though the spiritual consciousness and intelligence of the whip made it so it was a bit restless in his own hands, when he wielded it… using it seemed to be pretty smooth.
“Yun Che… I’m going to kill you!!”
This type of humiliation made Chiyang Yanwu scream viciously. Her body violently started to struggle in the restraining Tree of Frozen End, but when the dragon flame managed to light up, it was immediately extinguished. Meanwhile, the Tree of Frozen End’s leaves and branches were quickly spreading this whole time, becoming more dense. No matter how much she struggled, she couldn’t get out of it at all.
Yun Che swung the whip in his hand, looked at her out of the corner of his eyes, and said, “You can surrender now.”
“K… Kill me if you have what it takes!. Even if I die… I will not surrender to a bastard like you!!” Chiyang Yanwu’s face was burning red, her chest almost exploded with anger, and she was still struggling all she could. Her eyes were staring at Yun Che viciously, and it seemed like she wished she could burn him to ashes with her gaze.
“Oh, very well! I admire your personality.” Yun Che nodded, smiling, “If you say so… then… no surrendering later, okay~?”
Amidst soft laughter, Yun Che leisurely swung up the whip. Another “PAH” of a whip hit Chiyang Yanwu’s bottom, and this whip made a moderate rip in her short leather pants.
“Yun Che… There’ll be a day when I’ll tear you to pieces!!” Chiyang Yanwu was like an enraged female leopard as she roared at the top of her lungs.
Yun Che pretended to not hear it, and whipped again all cheerfully, “Don’t surrender… No surrendering, okay~!”
This lash, finally made Chiyang Yanwu drop a tear. She clearly felt that her pants that tightly wrapped on her butt had started to rip.
“I don’t know when you’ll be able to tear me to pieces.” Yun Che was playing with the whip as he indecently smiled and said, “But what I am sure of is, a few more of these lashes and your clothes will be all ripped to pieces. At that time, everyone would be able to see your, Chiyang Princess’, body… What do you say, how much do you think they will thank me?! Oh, right. You said you’ll never surrender, then please, never surrender!”
After saying that, Yun Che’s wrist moved, and another whip swung over. A loud, crisp “PAH” sound made another rip in the other half of her leather pants.
“You… you… I will kill you… I will definitely kill you!!” No matter how stubborn, how arrogant Chiyang Yanwu was, at this moment, her voice obviously carried a hint of a crying tone. She looked at Yun Che with seventy percent anger, and twenty percent killing intent… and ten percent obvious begging.
“Enough!!”
With a deep voice that resounded with anger, a fiery-red figure suddenly flew from the Chiyang Family’s seats and instantly came to Chiyang Yanwu’s side. This person was also in red clothing and had fiery-red hair. It was obviously the Chiyang Patriarch, who was also Chiyang Yanwu’s father, Chiyang Bailie.
His daughter was humiliated with everyone watching. Even if he had been ten times as well-mannered, he simply couldn’t endure it any longer. Chiyang Bailie’s palm waved, and the large Tree of Frozen End that sealed Chiyang Yanwu immediately vaporized and disappeared. Chiyang Yanwu, whose body was frozen stiff, fell on Chiyang Bailie’s body. Her nose wrinkled, and she finally found a place for her to vent all of her anger, humiliation, and frustration, “Father! Kill him for me… I want to tear him into pieces, I want to… want to…”
“Silence!” Chiyang Bailie yelled angrily, “Do you think it’s not humiliating enough?!”
“Uu…” Chiyang Yanwu was usually rarely scolded by Chiyang Bailie, and she also knew that she humiliated her clan today. Her eyes immediately became red and she stopped making any sounds. When she looked at Yun Che, her eyes were still filled with the expression of bloodlust… her reputation that she had built up all her life was all thoroughly thrown away because of Yun Che today.
Chiyang Bailie’s face was extremely unsightly, but the reason Chiyang Yanwu lost to Yun Che was because she wasn’t as good as him. With everyone watching, he couldn’t even be mad. He turned to Yun Che, reached out his palm with a stiff expression and said, “Hand it over.”
Even a fool would know Chiyang Bailie was asking for the Fiend Dragon Solar Whip that Yun Che had snatched from Chiyang Yanwu’s hands, but Yun Che’s expression was filled with confusion as he replied, “Hand it over? Hand what over?”
Chapter 559 - Duke Huai’s Murderous Intent
Chiyang Bailie’s brows sunk and his eyes glinted with a dangerous light, “Why? Could it be that you are harboring the delusion that you can seize my clan’s Solar Whip?”
“Oh, you’re talking about this whip?” It was now that Yun Che looked up in sudden realization. He tossed the Fiend Dragon Solar Whip over to Chiyang Bailie with a casual flick of his hand, “This whip’s not bad, especially when it’s used to whip someone’s buttocks; the sound it makes is very crisp and satisfying indeed.”
The vast majority of the people in the great hall burst out into laughter. With a single sentence from Yun Che, one of the Chiyang Family’s three ultimate weapons was reduced to a tool used to whip buttocks. Chiyang Yanwu was already furious with embarrassment and once she heard these words, her fury and embarrassment rose to new heights. If not for the fact that she had been whipped by Yun Che to the point where she was scared stiff, she wouldn’t even have been able to restrain herself and have it out with him, “You… You!!”
Yun Che pretended as if he did not even notice Chiyang Yanwu’s murderous gaze and looked like he was minding his own business before he continued, “Even though this whip isn’t bad, I would never ever have the courage to ‘seize’ it. Recently, I have been perusing the annals of the ten thousand year history of this Illusory Demon Realm, and within these records, I seem to remember that there was a mention that the Fiend Dragon Solar Whip was gifted to the Chiyang Family by the third Demon Emperor. So it seems that the Demon Emperor Clan has truly held the Chiyang Family in high regard all this time.”
“Hmph!” Chiyang Bailie kept the Fiend Dragon Solar Whip and said coldly, “The Demon Emperor Clan has always held our Chiyang Family in the highest regard and the debt of gratitude that we owe to them is as heavy as mountains…”
“Oh!!” Yun Che exclaimed loudly, “Since Patriarch Chiyang knows that the Demon Emperor Clan has always held the Chiyang Family in the highest regard and that the Chiyang Family owes a great deal to the Demon Emperor Clan, it only naturally follows that the Chiyang Family would be deeply grateful, loyal, and devoted towards the Demon Emperor Clan. Also, the annals of Illusory Demon Realm clearly illustrates the rise and development of the Chiyang Family, and pardon this junior for saying something displeasing to the ear, but if not for the original Demon Emperor and several of the great Guardian Families using their entire strength to assist your Chiyang Clan, your clan would have perished at the hands of the Mokui Clan ten thousand years ago.”
“Not only was your clan rescued by the Demon Emperor, he even led the Chiyang Family and conquered everything under heaven with you by his side. Because of that, your family became a Guardian Family which ruled over the heavens and radiated might and prestige. For the past ten thousand years, your Chiyang Family has belonged the highest echelons of the Illusory Demon Realm… ah, and they even bequeathed unto you the Fiend Dragon Solar Whip, a great weapon known throughout the realm… This great favor shown to the Chiyang Family by the Demon Emperor Clan, even ten thousand lifetimes would not be enough to repay it!” Yun Che exclaimed with fervor, “If there is a ever a day that the seed of disloyalty is birthed in your Chiyang Family, that you forget your ancestors and your loyalty to become ungrateful and disloyal, that will surely provoke a universal disdain of the entire realm for your clan. Indeed, it is a contemptible act that would not be washed clean even in ten thousand lifetimes, an act that cannot be tolerated by heaven and earth. Oh, of course, after enjoying the blessings from the Demon Emperor for the past ten thousand years, coupled with the fact that your family is one of the most outstanding Guardian Families, it’s definitely impossible for your clan to perform this kind of act that would shame your ancestors. But I was merely recalling the grand history of your Chiyang Family all of a sudden, so I reminisced for a while…. Oh? Patriarch Chiyang, why does your face suddenly look so bad? Could it be that this junior has said something wrong?”
Chiyang Bailie’s expression was indeed ugly to the extreme. Because the entire Demon Imperial City knew the true intentions of Duke Huai. When the Chiyang Family appeared at the east wing, they too had made their intentions clear. Yun Che’s words were undoubtedly a fierce rebuke directed towards the Chiyang Family, but under the eyes of all the heroes of the realm, he couldn’t muster a single response to this resounding rebuke. The blue veins on his arms stood out clearly as he coldly eyed Yun Che. He said in a deep voice, “The affairs of my Chiyang Clan are none of your business! You are not yet worthy to idly talk about us! Hmph!”
As he finished speaking, Chiyang Bailie pulled Chiyang Yanwu along and flew back to his seat… His daughter was disgraced for all to see, so as the Chiyang Family’s Patriarch, and even more importantly, as Chiyang Yanwu’s father, he should have greatly rebuked Yun Che, or at the very least given him a stern warning and a few fierce words. However, he had instead grabbed Chiyang Yanwu and left, as he was unwilling to exchange any further words with Yun Che… It was clear that this hidden scolding of Yun Che was extremely hard for Chiyang Yanwu to bear. “Ungrateful and disloyal,” “forgetting your ancestors and your loyalty,” “the universal disdain of the entire realm,” “a contemptible act that would not be washed clean even in ten thousand lifetimes,” “an act that cannot be tolerated by heaven or earth,” every single word used was a poisonous needle that pierced his very soul.
Once Chiyang Bailie had left, the west wing immediately exploded into thunderous applause and acclamation, three consecutive victories… It was the first time the west wing had three consecutive victories, and this was after they had suffered humiliating defeat after humiliating defeat. And it was three consecutive victories created solely by the last man standing, a turn of events that no one could have foreseen!
“Yun Che, that was a beautiful win!”
“This is practically… practically a miracle! He actually won again!”
“Just where did this Yun Che pop out from, how come I’ve never heard of his name before?!”
“It doesn’t matter what he was in the past, just based on the fact that he consecutively beat Jiufang Yu, Xiao Donglai and Chiyang Yanwu, from this day onwards, his name will shake the heavens.”
“Is his profound strength truly only at the Sky Profound Realm? This is simply too… too unbelievable.”
To all who were present, Yun Che’s three consecutive victories was a success that was more than sufficient to shake the entire Illusory Demon Realm. Because he did not beat just any random side character; he had defeated those who represented the pinnacle of strength among the young generation of the entire Illusory Demon Realm.
“The foster son that Yun Qinghong has taken in, he is simply incredible… simply way too incredible.” Su Xiangnan exclaimed repeatedly in shock, “Not only did he beat three people consecutively, he did so while sustaining basically no injuries. Moreover, it looks like he did not even use his full strength. Such a heaven-blessed genius, yet his name was unknown before now. He used such an incomparably tyrannical profound art, yet no one has ever heard of it… this child is definitely, absolutely extraordinary.”
“For a Sky Profound Realm practitioner to be so strong, this is indeed the first time I have seen it in my entire life.” Su Family’s Great Elder also exclaimed and he followed up with a low sigh and a shake of his head, “But his personality is simply too wild and unrestrained. He reprimanded Duke Huai, heavily injured Jiufang Yu and Xiao Donglai and he even humiliated Chiyang Yanwu, then subtly scolded the entire Chiyang Clan for the whole world to see… Such genius, but such lack of restraint. To flagrantly and publicly offend all of these people that even the Little Demon Empress would hesitate to have a falling out with, while winning three consecutive victories and heavily damaging their prestige… I am only afraid that this young genius who is completely unrestrained and offensive will meet an early end.”
“What Big Brother has just said is exactly what I am worried about.” Su Xiangnan said as he nodded his head. Yun Che miraculously won three consecutive victories and caused his opponents to suffer miserable defeats, causing the west wing, which had prepared to have their dignity trampled, to raise their heads once more. Su Xiangnan was in complete awe of Yun Che, and Yun Che also naturally moved his heart which appreciated talent and understood gratitude. Thus, he became worried about the possible situation that Yun Che might soon face, because it was as the Great Elder had said; even though Yun Che was brilliant and dazzling in this grand ceremony, he had fiercely offended one incredible person after the other, and he had even gone as far as to offend an entire family.
Su Xiangnan glanced at Yun Qinghong and became hesitant to speak the words he was about to say.
The Little Demon Empress’ expression had been cold and calm the entire time, as if it was encased in ice. It was only when she looked at Yun Che that a small and faint change occurred on her face… At the very least, her initial desire to kill Yun Che had lessened. And the weakening of her killing intent was because he had displayed a strength that had shocked all who were present, while his words clearly expressed his desire to protect and be loyal to the Demon Emperor Clan.
“Who’s next?!” Yun Che stood in the center of the arena, staring directly at the east wing; every single word was filled with a deep arrogance.
No one in the entire great hall still mocked or despised Yun Che as they had when he had first been introduced. Those who had mocked him without restraint were presently filled with embarrassment. Currently, there was only respect left in those gazes directed towards him, and his haughty words caused the blood of those seated in the west wing to surge, as he left them with an uninhibited and extreme feeling of exaltation after their complete and crushing defeat.
This was especially so for the disciples of the Yun Family. They had originally regarded Yun Che as an outsider and completely rejected this person who had suddenly become the Patriarch’s foster son. But at this time, what rejection would still be left towards Yun Che? Their entire beings were filled with admiration and respect as the feeling of shared prestige became unbearably intense.
As for those seated in the east wing, their expressions had naturally become extremely ugly, especially those young disciples, as rage and envy were clearly written on their faces.
“What is this Yun Che so arrogant about?! Does he think that just because he beat Chiyang Yanwu, he is unparalleled under heaven?!”
“His arrogance is about to come to an end! The three who have yet to battle on our side are the remaining three of the Illusory Demon Seven Scions! And any one of them could abuse him to the point where his own mother wouldn’t recognize him!”
“Hmph! Just let him be smug for a while. He offended Duke Huai and offended the Chiyang, Xiao, and Jiufang Families. His status is merely that of a wild punk from outside of Demon Imperial City. Whether he will still be breathing six hours after this ceremony is a matter that has yet to be confirmed!”
“Bloody hell! I wish that Duke Hui Ran would come out now and smash his mouth to pieces with a single punch… However, that is not a likely thing, because with Duke Hui Ran’s strength, he would not even want to trade blows with such an opponent. And with the presence of Duke Hui Ye and Duke Yuan Qiao, Duke Hui Ran won’t even have the opportunity to show off his skills.”
“Hmph! Whatever it is, there is definitely no possibility that we will lose. The only thing that grinds my gears is that we allowed this punk to have the honor of winning three consecutive times. However, the more he shows off, the worse the consequences will be. I reckon that whether it is Duke Hui Ye or Duke Yuan Qiao who steps on the stage, neither will hold back, and even if he were beaten half to death, he would still have been let off lightly! So let him be arrogant!”
Duke Huai’s expression was still completely placid, but a strange light had appeared in his eyes. When Yun Che had beaten both Jiufang Yu and Xiao Donglai, even though he had been stunned, he had not truly taken Yun Che seriously. However, he had just beaten Chiyang Yanwu without even expending too much of his strength. But what caused him the most concern were the words that he had said to Chiyang Bailie… From this moment on, he had no choice but to completely reevaluate Yun Che.
He was unable to find either hide or hair regarding Yun Che’s origins despite his own great power.
He’d also been sorely mistaken about Yun Che’s strength.
Moreover, he had immediately been accepted as the foster son of that Yun Qinghong after he had entered the Yun Family…
The previous scheme that was targeted at the Yun Family and the Under Heaven Family was also completely unravelled by him, to the point where it had been laid bare for all to see.
After he had comprehensively analyzed this person, Duke Huai was suddenly seized by a thought… this Yun Che just might be a completely unforeseen and unknowable variable!
His logic-defying talent and strength, that demeanor and sharpness that far surpassed his age, all caused Duke Huai to feel a clear sense of danger.
Duke Huai’s brows faintly sunk and the killing intent he felt towards Yun Che instantly intensified by tens of times. He lowered his head and sent a profound energy sound transmission to Duke Hui Ye, “Ye’er, kill him!”
Duke Hui Ye had already been prepared to set out for battle when he suddenly heard Duke Huai’s sound transmission. His brows jumped and his mouth faintly curved into a cruel smile. He looked in Duke Huai’s direction and gently nodded his head, after which, he bounded into the air to land in front of Yun Che. His face was full of smiles as he looked at Yun Che… and that gaze was filled with an unconcealed cruelty.
“Duke Hui Ye… It’s Duke Huai’s Palace’s Young Duke Hui Ye!”
“I never thought that he would actually force Duke Hui Ye to personally come out. Ah, it really doesn’t make me feel good. But at least this competition has finally come to an end.”
“Yun Che won three consecutive victories, but it seems like he hardly broke a sweat. Moreover, he hasn’t even used his weapon yet… Do you think that Yun Che might have a possibility of beating Duke Hui Ye?”
“Are you joking?! This is the one who is ranked number three among the Illusory Demon Seven Scions that we are talking about, Duke Hui Ye of Duke Huai Palace! The thickness of the royal blood that Duke Huai Palace possesses is second only to the Demon Emperor Clan! And all the dukes in Duke Huai’s palace have a strong bloodline that is second only to the Demon Emperor! And the profound art that they cultivate is the one recognized to be inferior only to the 《Golden Crow’s Record of the Burning World》, the ‘Fallen Flame Devil Art’. A practitioner of this art who is at the sixth level of the Tyrant Profound Realm has power that is equivalent to a level seven Tyrant Profound Realm practitioner from the Twelve Families. Even though it could be said that Yun Che easily beat Chiyang Yanwu, he also had to fight nearly one hundred rounds and at one point, he was nearly forced out of the arena by her. Now that Duke Huai has made his move, he won’t even last three rounds! So how can there be any possibility that he will lose to Yun Che?”
“That’s right. Do not compare any disciple of the Twelve Families to a duke from Duke Huai Palace. Yun Che is indeed strong to the point of absurdity, but there is no way he can be Duke Hui Ye’s match. At most, he might be able to force Duke Hui Ye to use his full strength.”
There was much discussion inside the hall. The unsightly looks on everyone’s faces in the east wing seats were gradually alleviated when they saw Duke Hui Ye enter the arena; they all revealed a cold smile… They believed that Yun Che’s previous public attention would cause Duke Hui Ye to treat him harshly and there was also the possibility him killing Yun Che. As for Duke Hui Ye losing to Yun Che… it was definitely impossible.
The cries from all those seated in the west wing suddenly went cold, as every single person seated there displayed varying degrees of anxiety on their face. Especially those seniors, once they thought of Duke Hui Ye’s temperament, their brows tightly knitted together.
“You have done pretty well. Honestly, this duke actually severely underestimated your strength. One month ago, when I saw you at the Yun Family household, I had thought that you were merely a little grasshopper who was beneath my notice. I really did not think that you would actually be able to force this duke to personally take the stage. I guess that you are somewhat adequate enough for privilege of making this duke take you seriously.”
Duke Hui Ye had a bland smile on his face as he said that, but Yun Che could perceive an incomparably clear killing intent from his eyes. This kind of clear killing intent told Yun Che that in the upcoming battle, Duke Hui Ye would definitely try to deal a killing blow to him.
Yun Che also smiled, “Duke Hui Ye, it’s better if you boast less. This kind of boasting, in my entire life, even if I have not heard it a thousand times, I have at least heard it eight hundred times. But in the end, every single one of them had slapped their own face without a single exception. Heh, and let me tell you, slapping your own face is very painful, you know.”
Chapter 560 - Fallen Flame Devil Art
“Be careful, the profound art this person cultivates seems a bit strange and the potency of his Golden Crow bloodline is one-fourth that of the Little Demon Empress. If you do not use your heavy sword, he will not be so easy for you to deal with,” Jasmine said out of the blue.
Jasmine was the one who was most clear about Yun Che’s true ability, so there was no way Yun Che would not take her warning seriously. Yun Che gave a gentle nod of his head in response.
After hearing Yun Che’s words, Duke Hui Ye gave a bland laugh, “This duke had always regarded himself as an arrogant man, but this is the first time in my life that I have ever seen someone that is actually more arrogant than I am. To think that this person would display such arrogance before this duke himself.”
Yun Che nodded his head and said in a most sincere voice, “I understand, I understand completely. Lord Hui Ye has probably never gone out of Demon Imperial City in his lifetime, so it is only natural that your knowledge and experience is narrow and shallow. There seems to be a few proverbs regarding this… they seem to be something along the lines of viewing the sky from the bottom of a well or having a ludicrous conceit as great as Yelang. These words simply fit you all too well. His Highness Hui Ye should learn some self-reflection and self-development, and after this, you should go out to see more of the world yourself. If not, even if you don’t mind being laughed at, the feeling of slapping your own face is really not a good feeling.”
If someone were to compare the experience between Yun Che and Hui Ye, Hui Ye would fall far short. In terms of his ability to scold or mock others, he would not even be able to touch the soles of Yun Che’s feet. The bland smile on his face stiffened instantly and a cold light flashed from his eyes as he said in a cold, disdainful voice, “If you had just remained an honest fool, this duke would not even deign to spare you a single glance. With your ability, you might be able to garner a bit of fame for yourself in the future. However, you insist on seeking your own death… and to continue speaking to a feckless fool such as yourself is simply a waste of my time and my breath… This duke is going to simply rip your mouth off!”
Duke Hui Ye’s right arm shot out with his hand in the shape of a claw as all the profound energy in his body surged. Before he had made any other movements, a cluster of reddish-black flames appeared in the air thirty-five meters in front of him and fiercely exploded towards Yun Che’s face.
The Golden Crow Flame was not an ordinary profound flame, so the color of its flames would not manifest the same changes that normal profound flames would as one’s profound strength rises. Low-grade Golden Crow Flames were the same as low-grade Phoenix Fire, as both would appear a scarlet red with some faint gold streaks mixed in it. The thicker one’s Golden Crow bloodline was, the thicker the gold color in the flames would be and the purest Golden Crow Flames were a pure golden color.
Duke Hui Ye possessed the Golden Crow bloodline, so he could naturally produce low-grade Golden Crow Flames, but the flames he had produced in this instant… were instead a strange crimson-black color! And it was the black color which was dominant. The flames speeding towards him did not cause Yun Che to feel a burning hot sensation; instead, they radiated a gloomy and sinister cold which pierced the bone and bored into the heart. Wherever those red-black flames landed, the incomparably tough and durable profound jade floor had instantly become charred black… This blackness was clearly not caused by scorching heat, but by corrosion!
Because the Illusory Demon Royal Family had the bloodline of the Golden Crow, they would all basically cultivate fire-based profound arts. So when Jasmine had previously warned Yun Che that the profound art that Duke Hui Ye cultivated was extremely strange… Right now, it looked like rather abnormal indeed.
“So this is the rumored Duke Huai Palace’s ‘Fallen Flame Devil Art’?”
“That is right! It is said that this Fallen Flame Devil Art is compatible with the Golden Crow Flames and its might is only inferior to the Golden Crow’s Record of the Burning World! Even though Duke Hui Ye is not yet thirty years old, it is reported that his rate of compatibility has reached a shocking seventy percent… And Duke Hui Ran has supposedly already reached a compatibility rate of ninety percent!”
Before the crimson-black flames had appeared, Yun Che had felt that there was an abnormal change in the airflow. Even though he experienced a moment of astonishment, his willpower did not waver in the slightest. Moreover, it was not the first time that he had seen flames of this color or felt such an aura. During the years he was being pursued by all the heroes of the Azure Cloud Continent, he had seen every kind of bizarre profound art. Forget about a crimson-black flame, he had even seen a pure black ghost flame, a blood-colored devouring flame and even a viridian poison flame quite a few times.
Yun Che thrust his palm out without hesitation and faced with the Frozen End Divine Arts, the crimson-black flames which were exploding towards him immediately came to a stop. After the flames struggled for less than half a breath, they were forcibly frozen over, and even the color of the flames was rapidly changing from red-black to crystal blue.
“Ah! Even Duke Hui Ye’s devil flames were sealed!” All of the people seated in the great hall gasped in astonishment.
Duke Hui Ye’s brows faintly moved and he subsequently gave a cold sneer. The crimson-black flames ignited all over his body and his extended five fingers spread out even wider. Immediately, an explosive roar which sounded like exploding thunder rang through the air and surging energy waves swelled up all around him. A cluster of raging crimson-black flames, which was a full three times larger than the previous cluster, flew through the air as it explosively rushed towards Yun Che. As the flames rippled and fluctuated, the cluster rapidly distorted into the shape of a gigantic skull. The skull opened its huge horrific mouth as it flew towards Yun Che, accompanied by a wretched hissing noise which sounded like the wailing of ghosts.
A cold and sinister aura instantly engulfed the entire great hall and those who had relatively weak profound strength felt their entire bodies tremble as even their eyes grew slack; it was as if their entire spirit had been brought into a sinister, cold hell.
“What… what is this profound art, it is truly dreadful!” Even though Xiao Yun had long ago heard of Duke Huai Palace’s ‘Fallen Flame Devil Art’, this was the first time that he had truly witnessed it. It gave off a gloomy and sinister sensation that should not be felt from any flame and it made him feel as if all the bones in his body were trembling. If just the aura of the flames alone was this dreadful, it would be hard for him to imagine how terrifyingly powerful these crimson-black flames really were.
The crimson-black fire skull did not only have an extremely strong burning and corrosive power, it could even directly invade your spirit. For an instant, Yun Che’s outlook turned ominous, but he immediately recovered his clarity and his brows slightly furrowed as his expression grew a shade more serious. He took a half step backwards, raised his hand, and pointed his finger in the air and a beam of blue light shot out to meet the onrushing flame skull. The crimson-black devilish flames formed an extremely clear contrast with the pure and spotless icy-blue light.
Crack…
The red-black sparks which were spread all around had begun to rapidly freeze over and the gigantic flame skull’s speed immediately became slower, gradually coming to a standstill. But this only lasted for half a breath. A noise that sounded like a devil’s cry abruptly surged and rang loudly in the air. The ice seal of the Frozen End Divine Arts was forcibly brushed aside as ice fragments filled the air. The skull emitted a sinister and gloomy roar which seemed to come from the depths of hell as it rushed directly at Yun Che’s face.
“Hahahaha!” Duke Hui Ye’s laughter rang through the air, “Your ice profound energy is indeed rather interesting, but if you want to seal this duke’s devil flames, you are simply delusional!”
As he faced the skull composed of devil flames which had broken through his Frozen End Divine Art, Yun Che’s eyes narrowed, but he did not retreat in a fluster. Instead, he shot his palm out and that palm thrust brought along an incomparably huge profound energy storm.
“Falling Moon Sinking Star!!”
Boom!!
The entire Demon Imperial Hall trembled fiercely as a profound energy storm exploded in the air and sent out violent surges of energy akin to a raging tsunami. If this was not the Demon Imperial Hall, but rather some normal hall, the aftershock of profound energy alone would have been enough to blast that place into complete rubble.
Under the raging profound energy storm, the flame skull which exuded that sinister aura completely burst apart. The red-black flames filled the air as they shot out, causing the roof and the floor of the hall to be riddled with a countless number of black scars due to the flames’ corrosive properties; the damaged areas resembled hornets’ nests.
Yun Che’s body had also been shot into the sky by the exploding flame skull and he flew for tens of meters before he landed on the ground stably. The clothes he was wearing had also become riddled with hundreds of holes of varying sizes, and the borders of these holes were all charred black. But no obvious wounds could be seen on his body; the only wound that was visible was a small spot of blackened flesh that appeared on the back of his right hand.
Given Yun Che’s ability to completely resist fire, with just a little more control, even the clothes on his body would not be destroyed by flames. However, Duke Hui Ye’s devil flames did not only consist of flames, it also contained a fearsome corrosive power. Even though he had destroyed the flame skull, he had also been hit by a large number of sparks. While these dispersed devil flames were not enough to harm him, they had reduced his clothes to tatters.
“He blocked it… Yun Che actually blocked it!”
The two combatants had only just started their fight, but the fearsomeness of the devil flames unleashed by Duke Hui Ye had caused many of the realm’s hegemons to pale in shock. But what caused the crowd to truly be flabbergasted was that the Yun Che who had created the miracle of three consecutive victories had actually managed to completely block such a fearsome flame!
Looking at the Yun Che, who looked almost completely unharmed despite being blasted away, a flash of alarm darted through the depths of Duke Hui Ye’s eyes. However, a cold sneer had appeared on his face instead, “Not bad, not bad. To actually be able to resist my devil flames at sixty percent of their power. It looks like this duke has truly underestimated you by quite a bit. However, seeing your current pathetic appearance, how much longer do you think you can still hold out?”
Red-black sparks were still falling to the ground, burning little holes in the floor with a hissing sound. Yun Che glanced at the black scar on the back of his hand and said in a bland voice, “The flames of the Golden Crow are the flames of a divine beast, but you actually fused it with such an evil and ominous devilish art. This is simply a profanity against the Golden Crow Flames. If I were your grand ancestor, the Golden Crow, I would definitely do some house cleaning!”
Duke Hui Ye was not enraged, but instead he gave a cold snort and said, “The flames of our Duke Huai Palace is not something that rubbish like you is worthy to discuss. The Fallen Devil Flame is a supreme profound art that is only inferior the Golden Crow’s Record of the Burning World in this realm. At this present time, the Golden Crow’s Record of the Burning World can no longer appear anymore. So my Duke Huai Palace’s Fallen Flame Devil Art combined with the Golden Crow Flames is already the strongest profound art in the Illusory Demon Realm. The strongest flames and the most unrivaled strength! In front of this duke’s flames, the only thing that you can do is to struggle and cry!”
“The strongest flame?” Yun Che laughed, “You think that your evil and devilish fire which has thoroughly sullied the Golden Crow Flames is worthy of being called the strongest flame?”
With soft grunt, Yun Che raised his arm and a scarlet-red phoenix fire started to burn brightly in his palm. With a fierce thrust of his palm, this phoenix fire morphed into a crimson arrow and this arrow let out the keen and splendorous cry of a phoenix as it shot towards Duke Hui Ye.
Yun Che’s body contained the Phoenix bloodline and the Phoenix Flames constituted a key part of his power. His heart also held a deep reverence and appreciation for the divine strength that was bestowed to him by the Phoenix Spirit. In front of him stood someone whose body contained a thin amount of the Golden Crow bloodline, yet this person had taken the Golden Crow Flame, which was at the same level as the Phoenix Flames, and combined it with a fiendish and sinister devil art; this caused an uncontrollable rage to be birthed in his heart.
“Fire? How… How can it be fire? Hasn’t Yun been using an ice-based profound art all this while, how can he suddenly ignite profound flames?”
“Could it be that Yun Che has also cultivated a fire-based profound art? This, this, this… Water and fire are two elements which completely restrain one another. To cultivate both fire-based and water-based profound arts at the same time, isn’t it highly likely to cause one’s profound energy to run wild, even cause extreme harm to one’s profound veins? Even if he has perfect control over both arts, only one profound art can be used at one time. Because not only is there no compatibility, there is also the danger that it may backfire at any time…”
When he saw that Yun Che had actually suddenly released profound fire, Duke Hui Ye’s first reaction was one of pure shock, but after that, he immediately began laughing wildly, “Hahahaha! To actually cultivate both ice-based and fire-based profound arts at the same time, to think that there was actually such a ridiculous fool that existed in this world! This duke’s eyes have truly been opened today… Moreover, your profound flame is a mere lowly red, yet you actually dare to display your incompetence in this duke’s presence.”
The lowest grade of profound flames were orange in color and the one which immediately followed was a scarlet-red. When most profound practitioners had reached the later stages of the Spirit Profound Realm, they could already ignite a blue-colored profound flame. So the red-colored flames released by Yun Che could not even amount to a joke in Duke Hui Ye’s eyes. As he wildly laughed, he casually extended his palm towards the scarlet-red flames which were streaking towards him…
Back when Yun Che listened to Yun Qinghong talk about the stories of the past, he remembered that he clearly mentioned that the Little Demon Emperor disappeared the night he married the Little Demon Empress… He thought that it was strange back then even if the Little Demon Emperor was desperate to save his father and his heart was bitter, would it kill him to leave two or three days later? He just had to run away to Profound Sky Continent at this crucial time for a suicide mission.
Now he suddenly understood; not having the desire to get married when he didn’t know if his father was dead or alive was just an excuse, his real intention was to run away!
If I were married to this woman who was that scary even just hearing about her, I would run away too!
Mn? That’s not right! The Little Demon Emperor was the Demon Emperor’s heir, the master of the Illusory Demon Realm. With his identity, all of Illusory Demon Realm’s women should be free pickings, what kind of woman couldn’t he find? Why did he choose some scary woman who sounded like a reanimated ghoul as his Demon Empress… could it be that the Little Demon Empress was from a prominent family? But that still doesn’t make sense. In Illusory Demon Realm, what family background could be greater than the Illusory Demon Royal Family… and the Little Demon Emperor was the Illusory Demon Royal Family’s first chair! No matter what, he shouldn’t have to tolerate this.
“Xiao Yun, what is the family background of the Little Demon Empress? Why did the Little Demon Emperor marry her back then?” Yun Che asked out of curiosity from his heart.
“Uh, it’s because the Little Demon Emperor can only marry her.”
Xiao Yun’s answer stunned Yun Che: “Can only marry her? What does that mean?”
“Big Brother, I can’t believe you didn’t know that… oh!” Xiao Yun suddenly realized, “Right, right! I subconsciously forgot it again. Big Brother, you are from the Profound Sky Continent. Hehe, here in Illusory Demon Realm, no one would ever ask a question like that.”
Xiao Yun started explaining, “The Demon Emperor can have multiple wives, but the Demon Empress was set ahead of time for him. Because the Demon Emperor’s bloodline must be preserved as complete and perfect, the Demon Empress who marries the Demon Emperor must also have the purest Demon Emperor’s bloodline, so their offspring would continue to have the most complete Demon Emperor’s bloodline and inherit the Demon Emperor position. This is a basic principle that the Demon Emperor’s bloodline had which could never be broken.”
“As for the children that were borne by other wives, they would be bestowed the title of duke, and can intermarry with other families, but can never inherit the position of the Emperor. But, I heard Father said, that the Demon Emperor’s bloodline would consciously not let the bloodline outflow. So in the recent thousands of years, the previous Demon Emperors rarely married other wives besides the Demon Empress, and even if they married, they would purposely not have any children with them. So now, the Illusory Demon Royal Family does not have a Grand Prince anymore. The Duke Hui Ye that we saw today, and his father Duke Huai, are dukes who have the closest relationship with the Demon Emperor’s bloodline. However, even though that is so, the Demon Emperor’s bloodline in their veins are just too light.”
Xiao Yun’s explained very clearly, but Yun Che, who was listening, was stunned. He asked while trying to sound out, “If what I know is correct, the Demon Emperor’s bloodline seems to only have one bloodline. If this bloodline were to be kept pure, then the Demon Empress must also have the purest Demon Emperor’s Bloodline, so does that mean… the Little Demon Emperor and the Little Demon Empress are… are…”
“Oh, the Little Demon Empress is the Little Demon Emperor’s older sister,” Xiao Yun said casually.
Yun Che, “!@#$%…”
“Um? Big Brother, what’s wrong? Your face… suddenly became so strange?” Xiao Yun seemed to not really understand why Yun Che’s face was twitching like that.
“…The Demon Emperor’s bloodline… has been like this for generations?” When Yun Che spoke, even wind was coming out from the gaps in his teeth.
“Yeah.” Xiao Yun nodded, like it was something normal. His facial expression was as normal as ever, “Each generation of Demon Emperor and Demon Empress would give birth to a son and a daughter, and those son and daughter would become the next generation’s Demon Emperor and Demon Empress. There are a lot of other families like this, especially those that can pass down their bloodline power. To prevent the bloodline power from passing on to outsiders, it is forbidden to intermarry with another family. The inheritance of the Patriarch must not mix, that is the clan’s greatest taboo… We, the Yun family, are not as strict, because the men can pass down the Profound Handle to the next generation, but not the women. So women in the Yun family can intermarry another family, but men cannot leave the Yun family and marry into another family.”
Yun Che stared straight at Xiao Yun for a long while, and said slowly, “In the Profound Sky Continent, blood relatives cannot marry each other.”
“Why?” Xiao Yun’s eyes widened, “Marrying the person closest to you can make sure that the offspring also has the purest bloodline. The Profound Sky Continent… is so strange!”
From the view of the people of Profound Sky Continent, you are the strange ones… Yun Che gnashed his teeth and thought. This is called cultural differences, that’s right, a real life example of cultural differences!
No wonder the Little Demon Emperor would marry the terrifying Little Demon Empress, it’s because he didn’t have a choice!
Seems like it’s also not easy being the Illusory Demon Emperor.
“Now that the Little Demon Emperor is dead, the one who has the purest bloodline in the whole Illusory Demon Realm would be the Little Demon Empress. It is impossible for the Little Demon Empress to give birth to the next generation alone… that means, starting from the next generation after the Little Demon Empress, the pure Demon Emperor’s bloodline would not exist anymore,” Yun Che mumbled and said, “On top of that, with the Little Demon Empress being a woman, no wonder those dukes would spawn disloyalty, with even some of the guardian families’ loyalty are starting to collapse.”
“Yes, that’s right,” Xiao Yun nodded, “Father said this is the biggest crisis the Demon Emperor’s clan has faced since a million years ago.”
“The Little Demon Emperor was too rash. His eagerness to save his father and take back the Demon Emperor’s Seal was understandable, but he should know that the safety of his life determines the whole Demon Emperor’s clan’s heir and future! If he died, the Illusory Demon Realm would no longer have a pure Demon Emperor’s bloodline. The Demon Emperor died in Profound Sky Continent. My grandfather and Yun family’s top ten fighters also died there. He should’ve known that he would surely die if he went to Profound Sky Continent alone… If he really wanted to suicide, at least wait until the Little Demon Empress bore a son and a daughter… Rather than being rash, it was more like being stupid!”
Yun Che’s eyebrow suddenly raised.
Wait!
When he first arrived at the Illusory Demon Realm, it didn’t take effort for him to think about the serious and irreparable consequence, so how could the Little Demon Emperor not think of it? Being the heir to the Demon Emperor’s bloodline, the Little Demon Emperor should naturally value passing down the bloodline more than anyone else… that was something more important that himself, and a thousand million times more important than his Father’s life…
Then why did he go and suicide so stupidly?
A possibility flashed across Yun Che’s mind… is it possible that the Little Demon Emperor went to Profound Sky Continent for some other hidden reason?
Or… he didn’t actually die in Profound Sky Continent!? Is the knowledge that everyone has in Illusory Demon Realm all fake because someone made it up to cover something up?
After all, the Little Demon Emperor “disappeared” on their newly wedded night, and left a note informing people that he departed for the Profound Sky Continent, but no one actually saw him leave the Profound Sky Continent. No one even saw with their own eyes if he actually left… if the Little Demon Emperor was not a complete moron, then, there was a huge possibility that there was something hidden… or some conspiracy.
Yun Chen eyebrows tightened, and thought back to when he was first at Heavenly Sword Villa. Back then, when Ling Kun used his words to provoke Grandfather Yun Canghai, he seemed to have mentioned the Little Demon Emperor…
Yun Che closed his eyes, and concentrated on remembering what Ling Kun said back then…
“…It’s no harm for me to tell you again that your Demon Emperor had already died a long time ago. Died under hands of our Mighty Heavenly Sword Region’s Sword Master and Sun Moon Divine Hall’s Heavenly Monarch… Your pitiful Demon Emperor who had just ascended to the throne, overestimated his own abilities and wanted to take revenge for his father. Tsk, tsk… his cries were so pitiful when dying. Right now, the entire Illusory Demon Realm is supported by a little demon empress…”
Yun Che, “…”
Yun Che had an extremely strong memory. When he focused and thought back, he could make sure he didn’t miss a single word… Ling Kun talked about the Little Demon Emperor’s pitiful death… but he didn’t mention where he died, or how… At least, he never said he died in the Profound Sky Continent.
Xiao Yun didn’t notice Yun Che’s sudden facial changes. He nodded and said, “The Little Demon Emperor was really too rash. I heard that the day he was married, he drank a lot of alcohol, and he didn’t use his profound strength to resolve his drunkenness, so he lost his mind after he drank, and acted rashly… That could be, hehe, because he didn’t know how to face the Little Demon Empress on their wedding night. I heard my Father said, that the Little Demon Emperor was actually very afraid of the Little Demon Empress.”
“Afraid?”
“To be accurate, it should be respectful and afraid,” Xiao Yun said, “I heard Father say that the Little Demon Emperor had an air of arrogance, but was also really compassionate. As soon as he was born, he had a fearless personality. Even the previous Demon Emperor couldn’t control him, but the only person he was scared of was his sister… oh, who was also the Little Demon Empress. Little Demon Empress’ profound energy cultivation was always stronger than his, and from youth, she was domineering person. Every time the Little Demon Emperor didn’t behave himself, she would beat him up until he obeyed. Even when the Little Demon Emperor saw the previous Demon Emperor, he would be bossy and tyrannical, but when he saw his sister, he would be docile and obedient, and wouldn’t even dare to breathe. Even our Father would also be well-behaved in front of the Little Demon Empress… I heard from Mother once that back then, Father and the Little Demon Emperor went to the Northern Passes on the spur of the moment, and disappeared for a month without a word. When they came back, the Little Demon Emperor was beaten up by the Little Demon Empress… and Father was beaten up along as well, with more than thirty bones broken, and had to lie in bed for half a month…”
“…So…cruel!” Yun Che listened with his heart jumping and his skin crawling.
“But, even though the Little Demon Empress was always dominant, her personality wasn’t extreme, and it was hard not to respect and approve of her. When she was about twenty years old, she took over the Illusory Demon Royal Family’s affairs, and almost everything was taken care of perfectly; even the twelve guardian family’s Patriarchs were respectful to her… until the news of the death of the previous Demon Emperor broke out. And after Little Demon Emperor passed away, her personality changed completely. Her aura, the expressions in her eyes, her actions, all became terrifying. Whenever she appeared, everyone became silent, and it seemed like during these past few hundred years, she had never smiled again.”
Having just lost her father, and her brother… Mn, or husband, it would be strange if she didn’t resent or get mad! Yun Che thought, and said, “Her family is dead. Left alone with the purest Demon Emperor’s bloodline, she not only bore the pain of losing her family, but also bore all the responsibility. At the same time, she is a woman. To inherit the position of Emperor, and be pressured by a number rejections, by political pressure, by gossip… that could not be easy. In that situation, if she wasn’t strong and malicious, let alone a hundred years, she wouldn’t even have lasted for ten years.”
“Mn, mn!” Xiao Yun nodded, “Father said the same thing! Father rarely compliments anyone, but these years, Father complimented the Little Demon Empress many times. At the same time, he also worried many times for the Demon Emperor Clan’s future. After all, after the Little Demon Empress, there would never be another one with the Demon Emperor’s pure bloodline…”
“Whatever, that’s the Little Demon Empress’ problem. Not mentioning the future, it’s uncertain that she would still be the Little Demon Empress even a month from now. That Duke Huai was not afraid to run rampant, and he also doesn’t seem to be afraid of the Little Demon Empress knowing about it. Seems like he is not only ambitious, but also very confident.” Yun Che said, curling his lips.
One month later at the Demon Empress’ Grand Ceremony, I should be able to see the legendary Little Demon Empress… Yun Che lowered his eyebrows and muttered… your attitude, will determine whether or not I return that item to you… or else, even though this is Grandfather’s dying wish, I will disobey! I hope… you will not disappoint me!
The “big secret” that Grandfather wanted me to tell you, I will have to see if you have the ability to make me want to tell you myself!
As for the Mirror of Samsara… sorry, I’m not going to return it to your Demon Emperor Clan, because that already belongs to me!
Chapter 532 - Outside Demon Imperial City
The Yun Family that had been noisy the entire day, finally quietened down, but every Yun family member’s state of mind was still at a hard-to-calm excited state. Night quietly fell. The quiet within Demon Imperial City’s night was still the same as ever, seeming to not have been affected by the “great matter” which happened in Yun Family.
Yet news of Yun Qinghong and his wife having fully recovered their profound strength had already spread throughout the entire Demon Imperial City in the evening, causing great waves to occur in all the great clans and powers.
From the second day onward, Yun Family’s gate became exceedingly lively as an endless stream of people came to express their wishes to pay Yun Qinghong a visit. And every single person who came was possessed of a startling pedigree, yet every single one of them were politely declined. They were informed that the Patriarch would not be entertaining any guests for three days.
And the Clan Assembly which was supposed to be convened on the second day was pushed to after the third day on orders from Yun Qinghong.
Because this was the period of three days where Yun Qinghong knelt by Yun Canghai’s body, watching over it. And for the entirety of three days, he did not eat nor drink; did not move nor sleep. And Mu Yurou was by his side, accompanying him in kneeling and watching over Yun Canghai’s body; she did not leave his side at any moment.
If it was not for the important matter at hand, Yun Qinghong would have knelt for a month… Or maybe even longer than that.
However, the fact that Yun Canghai’s remains had been returned was not made public. Besides the four of them, no one else knew. And three days later, the Coffin of Eternity which held Yun Canghai’s remains was retrieved by Yun Che and put into the Sky Poison Pearl. Yun Qinghong did not object, because even though he did not know what Yun Che wanted to do, he believed in Yun Che; he believed in his own son.
As for the Mirror of Samsara, upon Yun Che stating that he was not willing to return it to the Demon Emperor Clan, Yun Qinghong only had a brief moment of hesitation. After that, he simply handed the the Mirror of Samsara back to Yun Che. His son had recently returned and his joy, comfort and contentment, coupled with the guilt and the debt he felt he owed Yun Che for the past twenty-plus years… All of this manifested itself as him and Mu Yurou not being willing to reject anything Yun Che wanted, no matter how overboard he went; even if it was to the point of violating some of their own principles.
And as for the fact that Yun Che was actually a scion of the Yun Family, this was only known by the four of them as well. Because once this matter had spread out, it would invariably lead to people connecting matters to the ‘Profound Sky Continent’ and this would lead to unpredictable trouble or even danger for the Yun Che who had just arrived at this time.
They would rather the people who had marked Yun Che and went to check on his background come up with nothing, so their hearts would be filled with misgivings and apprehension, and they would act with caution and prudence so as to not cause unwarranted damage.
And as the person who had rendered extraordinary service to the Yun Family by eradicating the root of their impending calamity, coupled with his status as the Patriarch’s godson, Yun Che’s approval rating within the Yun Family had risen exponentially. Even if the elders of the Yun Family saw him, they would greet him with faint smiles and display expressions filled with praise; there were even some who lavished him with generous praise when they saw him.
The night deepened and all was silent.
In the past few days, Yun Che did not go out much; he spent the majority of his time in the training room, concentrating on cultivating the Extreme Mirage Lightning movement skill while getting used to the weight of the Heaven Smiting Devil Slayer Sword.
“It’s about time to see the fruits of my training.” Yun Che mumbled to himself.
Bang!
The Frozen End Illusory Mirror was shattered by him. Yun Che exhaled lightly and the aura of profound energy that was emanating from his body began to swiftly recede. In the blink of an eye, it seemed as if all the energy that had been emanating outwards had disappeared. Forget about profound energy field, even the sound of his breathing and the beating of his heart seemed to have completely disappeared. If a person had his back faced towards Yun Che, he would not even be able to detect his presence at all.
Upon the activation of the skill ‘Hidden Flowing Lightning’, a considerable amount of profound energy was used to rigidly lock up his aura within his body. When he let the skill persist, it required a set amount of profound energy to continue functioning, but this amount of profound energy was so small that it could not even catch up to Yun Che’s profound energy recovery rate that was boosted by the Great Way of the Buddha. He maintained the concealed state bestowed by Hidden Flowing Lightning and changed into a set of black clothes. He exited the practice room, jumped onto the rooftop, and started moving after he had randomly chosen a direction.
Moreover, his current status in the Yun Family had received a huge boost, so even if he was discovered by other people, it would not be a huge deal. But what filled him with joy was that even though he had flown through a good half of the Yun Family grounds, not a single person had noticed his presence!
And this place was not some random ramshackle slum. It was filled with a countless number of strong individuals who stood at the peak of power. Even if you randomly picked one of them, that person was a member of the Yun Clan who could send shockwaves through the entire Illusory Demon Realm. In normal circumstances, the aura of a Sky Profound Realm practitioner could not even be hidden from a Emperor Profound Realm practitioner, so it was needless to say that an Overlord could do so as well. Everywhere else, Overlords were as rare as phoenix feathers and qilin horns, but in Demon Imperial City, they practically littered the streets. And especially in the Yun Family, they were a dime a dozen. Yet Yun Che had circled the entire Yun Family holdings and not a single person had discovered his presence.
Yun Che had been on the run countless of times and his ability to conceal his presence was already extremely strong. Now with the aid of Hidden Flowing Lightning, the results had exceeded even his own expectations. Because even if Yun Qinghong wanted to tour around the Yun Family holdings without being detected and without arousing any attention, it was practically impossible.
“If I had learned this Hidden Flowing Lightning when I was in the Azure Cloud Continent, I would not have had to endure the misery of having to constantly be on the run!” Yun Che vented within his mind. After that, he directly exited the Yun Family holdings and entered Demon Imperial City, which was shrouded in night.
Even though Yun Che had been in the Demon Imperial City for two months, he spent practically all of this time helping Yun Qinghong and Mu Yurou make a full recovery, so he had never actually properly visited Demon Imperial City.
Even within the pitch-black of night, it was naturally hard to affect the vision of a strong profound practitioner. As Yun Che travelled north, he did not move at too fast of a pace, so he could maintain the greatest degree of concealment. On the journey, he felt the presences of many strong individuals, but not one of these strong individuals had discovered him. And after he had run his eyes over the Demon Imperial City which was submerged in the curtain of night, Yun Che finally could not resist testing out the power of Extreme Mirage Lightning. He fiercely exhaled, not caring that this would very likely cause others to perceive him. His body instantly seemed to have morphed into a bolt of lightning and he flew forward at great speed. In the blink of an eye, he had completely disappeared into the night.
If you were to consider instantaneous movement speed, Extreme Mirage Lightning naturally could not compete with Star God’s Broken Shadow, but not many profound movement skills could compare with it anyways. However, in terms of continuous movement speed, Star God’s Broken Shadow was also definitively outclassed by Extreme Mirage Lightning. As he flew, it was really as if he had become the image of lightning itself. Before he could even react, he had already moved past more than three hundred fifty meters of distance.
And in comparison to the speed that Hua Minghai had displayed to him while running away, his current speed had actually surpassed the standard that had been set back then.
After all, Yun Che’s current profound energy was far richer than Hua Minghai’s profound energy at that time.
Yun Che could not help but think… Hua Minghai had relied on the two skills Extreme Mirage Lightning and Hidden Flowing Lightning to become known as the number one thief in the Profound Sky, so now the current him… had he not surpassed Hua Minghai to become the new number one thief… Hmm?! No that’s not right, I am definitely not some thief!
Even though Yun Che had been cultivating Extreme Mirage Lightning for more than a month, because he did not want to attract any attention while he was in the Yun Family before this, he did not dare act indiscriminately, so even if he had performed the skill, it was only within the confines of the practice room. Now that he wantonly displayed its full capability, he unexpectedly needed a good long while to get used to the extreme speed that was produced. But under this extreme speed, it was as though he had become a gale of wind. The feeling that he had left the entire world eating his dust was incomparably refreshing, so Yun Che unwittingly stirred his profound energy and kept increasing the speed at which he was moving.
Whoosh!!!
Under the blanket of darkness, an old man who was walking along the streets of Demon Imperial City suddenly heard the sound of a violently rushing wind echo in the skies above. He raised his head, but that sound had already trailed off into the distance; he did not even see hide nor hair of the person who had just passed by.
“What, what a fast speed… Could it be that it is a Monarch from one of the big families?” The old man breathed excitedly.
Not only was the speed displayed by Extreme Mirage Lightning shocking beyond compare, the expenditure of profound energy was also far less than what he had expected. Yun Che had unknowingly already travelled more than one hundred fifty kilometers, and this entire process was done under the fastest speed he could travel. However, he did not feel the least bit tired, nor was he even short of breath.
Yun Che had finally come to a stop, but just as he was about to return, he suddenly realized that what laid in front of him was actually the tall city gates of Demon Imperial City.
According to the direction he had flown… This place was actually the northern gates of Demon Imperial City?
After roughly estimating the current time, Yun Che had become somewhat flabbergasted. Just this little time and effort, and he was actually already at the outskirts of Demon Imperial City… The speed of Extreme Mirage Lightning was simply akin to that of galloping lightning; it was fast to the point of being incomprehensible. And his own profound energy level was only at the peak of the Sky Profound Realm. But to be able to rush from the Yun Family household all the way to the northern gates of the Demon Imperial City within such a short span of time, this feat was only achievable by someone who, at the very least, had to be at the peak of the Tyrant Profound Realm!
When he had come to Demon Imperial City, he entered from the southern gates. And this place was at the other end of Demon Imperial City. Yun Che lapsed into thought, and then decided to abandon the notion of returning home. He decided to continue flying forward, and very soon, he flew out of the city limits, leaving Demon Imperial City.
“Where are you going?” The moment Yun Che had activated Extreme Mirage Lightning to move as swiftly as lightning, Jasmine had been startled awake from her sleep.
“Whoaa… Where is this place? It’s so black!” Hong’er had also been jostled awake. But Hong’er’s ability to sleep was far greater than Jasmine’s. Jasmine, in order to suppress the devilish poison within her body, had to sleep for around ten hours each day. But Hong’er had to sleep for at least twenty hours a day, and if she wasn’t woken up by her hunger, she could even sleep the entire day away.
“Xiao Yun had mentioned before that Golden Crow Lightning Flame Valley was directly north of Demon Imperial City, so if I keep travelling north from here, I might even be able to catch a glimpse of that place.” Yun Che replied.
“You want to go to Golden Crow Lightning Flame Valley? That place is known as the most important location in the entire Illusory Demon Realm, and even the Twelve Guardian Families are not normally allowed to enter. There will definitely be extremely strong guardians or restrictions lying in wait, so even if you can find it, what can you do?”
“I am only curious as to what sort of place it is exactly. After Xiao Yun had described it as being so mystical, it being the reason that there is such a big gap between the young generation of the Yun Family and the rest of the Guardian Families, all because the Yun Family was barred from entering it for one hundred years… Ah, I am only speaking casually. I don’t really want to find out the location of that place, and even if I do find it, I will not try to enter…”
“Because even if I want to enter, I want to enter that place with my head held up high! And go in together with Father, Mother and Xiao Yun!”
As he was speaking, Yun Che had unexpectedly already traversed over fifty kilometers. The clouds in the night sky had already vanished without him noticing and a bright, shining half-moon hung in the night sky, with the radiance of the moonlight dispelling a good part of the darkness. Underneath Yun Che was a plain of rolling green grass and he could hardly sense the presence of any people, demons or beasts. When he looked ahead, he only saw a vast, spacious emptiness.
“Strange, this place isn’t too far from Demon Imperial City, it isn’t remote nor wild, yet there isn’t a single person or demon to be found? Yun Che said in a mystified voice. After that he came to a realization, “Could it be that because Golden Crow Lightning Flame Valley was in this direction, no one is allowed to be in the vicinity?”
After chewing on this for a while, it ended up seeming to be the most suitable explanation.
“Master! Quick, look, that place is shiny! Is there something nice to eat there?!”
Hong’er’s excited and coquettish voice rang out. Yun Che looked down, and below him was indeed something that sparkled brilliantly. He said with a helpless expression on his face, “That is a small lake, it’s not something shiny! And it’s definitely not something delicious for you to eat!”
The surface of the lake reflected the moonlight, and under the curtain of night, it shone with an exceptional brilliance… For Hong’er, there were only two types of food, one was swords and the other was precious stones which shone with all kinds of light. And after Hong’er understood just what kind of food she liked to eat, by her definition, anything that was shiny, was definitely something nice to eat!
“Small lake? Oh….” Hong’er’s voice fell and her previous excitement completely died down.
“Yun Che, go down there and take a look.” Jasmine said suddenly.
Chapter 533 - The Strange Bewitching Maiden
Yun Che’s body stopped, “What did you discover?”
“That little lake, there seems to be a very special aura emanating from it.” Jasmine said slowly, “And it is similar to an aura that I am familiar with… In fact, it seems to slightly resemble… the aura of the Golden Crow!”
Golden Crow?
“You have come in contact with the aura of the Golden Crow before?” Yun Che asked reflexively.
“That isn’t important right now. Even though it is very faint, it is extremely unusual for a lake to be able to exude an aura which is similar to that of the Golden Crow. Go down and confirm it.”
The power of the Golden Crow belonged to the element of fire, but a lake would naturally be filled with water, so it did sound extremely unusual. After Yun Che confirmed that there was no one else in the surrounding area, he complied with Jasmine’s words. He drifted down and landed on the side of the lake.
This was a very small lake. In fact, it was not much bigger than a pond, and with just a glance, you could see its limit. However, the water in the lake was exceptionally clear; even under the hazy moonlight, one could still see directly to the bottom of the lake.
The area that was seventy meters beyond the lake was covered in a thick swathe of uneven and wild foliage, but the plants that grew there were not a healthy green, instead, they seemed to be dry and withered. Within that circle of seventy meters surrounding the lake, an area which should have been most suitable for plants to grow, there was not even a single blade of grass which grew there; it was just flat ground.
The night wind drifted up from the lake’s surface, and this night wind, which should have carried along with it the cool and refreshing feeling of lake water, instead caused Yun Che to experience a distinct feeling of dry heat, which was extremely bizarre. His heart skipped a beat and he crouched down, dipping his hand into the lake… The water was not cool, it was instead, practically at body temperature.
Demon Imperial City was already located to the north of the Illusory Demon Realm so it should’ve been a cold region. Right now, it was night time, so the lake water should be cool to the point of being icy cold. It definitely should not even be anywhere near this warm.
“Within the waters of the lake lies an aura which is definitely similar to the aura given off by the Golden Crow’s flames. However, I cannot confirm that it is actually the Golden Crow’s flame energy.” Jasmine said evenly.
Yun Che muttered under his breath, stood up, and said in an uncertain tone, “Could it be because this place is in such a state because it is close to Golden Crow Lightning Flame Valley?”
“No!” Jasmine retorted, “Take a look at your surroundings. Only the small area which is near the lake is devoid of any sort of plant life. It’s as if everything around the lake had been burned up completely. Yet once it gets further away from the lake, you can see that a thick undergrowth has sprung up all around this area. If it was really due to Golden Crow Lightning Flame Valley, then it should’ve happened to this entire region. If I am not wrong, there is someone who is releasing the Golden Crow’s flame energy into the lake, and from the looks of it, it wasn’t too long ago that this happened; only two or three days ago at most.”
“Releasing flame energy into the lake water? Why?” Yun Che asked in a mystified tone.
“Perhaps it wasn’t done on purpose, but it was the Golden Crow’s flame energy within the person’s body that was left behind after the person had been submerged in the lake for some time. But it is far more likely that someone cannot completely control the Golden Crow’s flame energy within his body, so that person relied on the lake’s water to help calm it down. This alternative is the far more likely one, because the flames of the Golden Crow are incomparably fierce and explosive; if you do not cultivate the 《Golden Crow’s Record of the Burning World》 and you just rely on profound energy alone to try to control the Golden Crow’s flame energy like a normal profound flame, that would basically be impossible! Also, the purer your Golden Crow bloodline is, the more true that statement becomes!”
“Hm, so that’s it…” Yun Che slowly nodded his head. The Illusory Demon Royal Family all possessed of some measure of the Golden Crow bloodline and the bloodline of the Demon Emperors possessed the purest strain of this Golden Crow bloodline. Could it be that someone from the Illusory Demon Royal Family had bathed in this lake?
But there didn’t seem to be any value in investigating any further. If he wanted to witness the Golden Crow’s flame energy, he could simply do so by entering Golden Crow Lightning Flame Valley. That place was somewhere he definitely could not miss out on!
However, this place was a blanketed in a sea of stillness and there was no one around to disturb him, so Yun Che felt that it was a good place to practice his sword skills.
“The night is still young. Since I have travelled so far, I might as well put myself through the paces and practice my sword skills!” Yun Che extended his arm, “Hong’er, you’re not allowed to sleep, prepare to…”
“Wait!!” Jasmine suddenly shouted, “Hide your presence and conceal yourself immediately, someone’s coming… and this person is an extremely powerful individual!”
To be able to be described as ‘extremely powerful’ by Jasmine, this was definitely no laughing matter. The person who was coming was at the very least someone he definitely had no way to deal with. And if it happened to be an enemy or a villain, he could not even call for help in this remote place which was so far from the Demon Imperial City. Yun Che swiftly used Hidden Flowing Lightning to conceal his presence, and after that, he soundlessly submerged himself into the wild undergrowth behind him.
The foliage was not very tall, but it was extremely dense, so it could cover up Yun Che’s entire body. Not long after he hid, a vague figure appeared in the sky directly within his field of vision. After that, in just a fraction of a second, the figure seemed to slip through the night sky like flowing light, closing approaching until it was only one hundred meters away from Yun Che…
So fast! Yun Che exclaimed in his heart. At the same time, he quickly ducked his head to prevent the other party from noticing his gaze… Once your spiritual perception had achieved a certain degree of acuteness, even if you did not use your eyes, you would definitely notice it if you were being watched… and Yun Che had this kind of ability. The other person’s astounding speed was a manifestation of an incomparably strong strength… This person’s strength might not even lose to his father, Yun Qinghong.
Right after Yun Che had even made his gaze inconspicuous, he suddenly realized that the other person’s speed had noticeably slowed. After that, the other party came to a stop not far from where he was, still hovering in midair.
Yun Che suddenly froze… Could it be that I have been discovered? Shit! How could this Hidden Flowing Lightning suddenly become useless at the most critical juncture?! Or maybe… the other person’s profound energy is simply too strong, so even after I used Hidden Flowing Lightning, I am still unable to escape his spiritual perception?
But after a short while, Yun Che breathed a silent sigh of relief. Because even though the other person had come to a stop, he did not notice any gaze being directed towards himself. A profound energy aura was released from this person’s body and it swept across the surrounding area. It also swept across Yun Che’s position but it continued without any interruptions, so this was proof that Yun Che still had not been detected yet… But once that profound energy aura had swept through his body, it caused his entire body to violently stiffen while the organs in his body tightened up suddenly. A bone-piercing chill filled him entirely, even seeping into his blood.
This person… What a terrifying aura!
Yun Che was completely convinced that the strength of this profound energy aura was not inferior to Yun Qinghong’s in any way!
The strength of this profound energy aura was actually secondary to the fact that it also clearly carried with it an exceedingly heavy feeling of suppression! The strength of this suppression made Yun Che feel like all the blood in his body was going to congeal.
And if Yun Che was affected to this extent, then if it was someone else, it was possible that under this oppressive feeling, that person would directly kneel on the ground while trembling all over.
What kind of individual is this… He did not discover my presence, but he stopped here anyways. This meant that this person was going to come here all along.
A Sovereign Profound Realm expert; what was someone like that doing here in the middle of the night?
That person floated in midair for a good long while, and after confirming that there was no one in the vicinity, that person withdrew his spiritual perception. At the same time, Yun Che raised his head with the utmost caution to look in that person’s direction. Because in the relatively clear moonlight, he could clearly see this person’s features. And after he did, his expression instantly became stunned…
Someone who was possessed of such a strong profound energy and emitted such a shocking feeling of oppressiveness; Yun Che had expected to see an old person who had a grand and mighty visage, or perhaps a middle-aged person with a severe and reserved countenance… Or at least, even if it was someone who seemed to looked very young, he would not have been so flabbergasted.
But directly in his field of vision, there was clearly a….
Little girl?!
Yun Che tightly shut his eyes, then opened them again, and what he saw…. was still a little girl!!
The girl looked to be very young, at most fourteen to fifteen years of age. She even looked younger than the initial appearance of Feng Xue’er all those years ago. She was wearing an ill-fitting ugly grey long dress… No, it could not be called a dress, it was instead an unornamented, dark grey robe. The girl’s figure was extremely small and delicate, and even these robes which were not too big could not show her figure. Instead, as it was billowing in the night wind, the hem of the robe had nearly engulfed the girl’s ankles.
This girl… was dressed really strangely.
But this strangely dressed little girl had an exceedingly beautiful and delicate face; her complexion was also exquisite. At least for the Yun Che who had seen far too many outstanding beauties in his life, after he saw her face, even he felt like he could not breathe for a while. It was practically on par with the impact he had felt when he had first seen Feng Xue’er…
Xia Qingyue had a kind of pure and cold beauty, Feng Xue’er possessed an illusory and ethereal beauty and Jasmine had a bewitching enchanting beauty… While this girl also had a beauty that was incomparably strange and bewitching, but the bewitching feeling she gave off was different from Jasmine’s. It was a kind of sinister and dangerous feeling of enchantment. It caused Yun Che to unwittingly feel like he was staring at a cold-blooded emotionless death god when he looked at her. And it made him feel like if he came near her or made contact with her, he would die a terrible death.
Even though she looked like she was only a young girl, her features were already at the pinnacle of beauty. However, the sinister and bone-chilling cold she emanated was even more extreme than that. Yun Che definitely believed that when people faced her, the first thing they would notice was not her breathtaking beauty, but would first feel pure terror because of her aura… and gaze!
While floating in the middle of the night sky, her eyes were also an unusual gloomy black, and they gleamed with a dull black light under the moonlight. After noticing those pair of eyes, Yun Che felt like he had been drawn into a boundlessly deep night sky; one which had no limits. And once he fell into that gaze, it was as though he had been consigned into an eternal abyss of pure darkness, never to escape… He practically averted his gaze instantly while a chill ran down his spine.
This little girl… who exactly was she?!
Moreover, a young girl who looked like she was only fourteen or fifteen, yet actually possessed the profound strength of a Monarch… and she should even be a mid stage Monarch!
Monarch; this was a term that represented the pinnacle of the profound world. Within the Profound Sky Seven Nations, it was an existence that was akin to myths, but in this place… Father was a Monarch, Mother was a Monarch, Uncle was a Monarch… and even a fourteen or fifteen year old girl had the strength of a Monarch!!
This grand term, Monarch, just when did it seem like this title had become worth so little!
“This person! What a heavy vicious aura she is emitting! Looks like she has killed her fair share of people.” Jasmine said in a bland voice. With her capabilities, she would naturally not be frightened by this little girl, “She should belong the Illusory Demon Royal Family.”
“How did you know?”
“Because she has the presence of the Golden Crow bloodline within her body.” Jasmine warned Yun Che, “You better hide as best as you can and pray that you don’t get discovered. Based on the vicious aura she is emitting, if she discovers your existence, she will slaughter you with no hesitation whatsoever!”
Yun Che, “…She came all the way here by herself in the middle of the night. What is she intending to do? Could it be that she is waiting for someone?”
After Yun Che had finished speaking to Jasmine, the girl who had been still for a long while suddenly moved, and her body slowly descended to the ground.
Her hair was very long and it grew all the way to below her hips. It was as pitch black as a starless night sky. The night wind brushed her hair across a face which was like white jade. Once the soles of her feet touched the heart of the lake, she stopped there and lightly closed her eyes.
In the instant she closed her eyes, the heavy, sinister and icy-cold aura that was emanating from her vanished without a trace, as the oppressive feeling that weighed on Yun Che’s body and mind vanished as well… The young girl quietly stood in the heart of the lake, her expression serene, while her black hair lightly danced in the wind. It painted a picture of ethereal beauty that no one would want to disturb… Yun Che just stared at her in a daze, to the point where he even suspected that his previous perception of her was all a misperception.
Slowly the girl spread out both her arms, and a pair of small white hands that were as tender and translucent as jade porcelain peeked out from under her broad sleeves. Following that, her body continued to descend, until her calves submerged in the lake… At this time, a cluster of scorching flames sprang forth from her body.
The flames were dull, but they spread rapidly, and soon, they engulfed her entire body. In the midst of the flames, her black hair began to dance wildly… But, it was not the wildly dancing hair which grabbed Yun Che’s attention. Because as the fire began to burn on her body, her grey robe quickly turned into grey ashes… Once the fire died out, a snow-white, delicate, fine jade body which would move the heart of anyone revealed itself proudly as the night wind blew… and it also appeared directly before Yun Che’s eyes.
Chapter 534 - Narrowly Escaping Death
Yun Che’s eyes widened while his mouth completely gaped open… If his self-control was not good enough, a sound would have definitely escaped from his throat.
He had only acted on a fancy today to use Extreme Mirage Lightning to go for a spin, and then conveniently practice his sword skills. Little did he know that in this isolated and desolate place, a terrifying Sovereign Profound Realm individual would show up in the dead of night… If it was only this, he could still cope, but it was clear this individual had an extremely bad temper, so he had no choice but to hide… And this bad-tempered individual was actually a young girl… And to top it off, this young girl, before his very eyes… burned all her clothes to a crisp and was now was as naked as the day she was born!
What the heck was going on?!
If it was only an ordinary girl, it would not be the least bit exaggerated to say that given her perfect looks, she held the title of the number one beauty in the Illusory Demon Realm, so Yun Che would definitely feast his eyes on this delicate morsel. But the problem here was that this little lady’s profound strength and the aura she projected was simply too terrifying… If he was discovered before this, since there was no prior hatred or animosity, she might just let him off the hook.
But right now, if she discovers him… even he would have felt that it was abnormal if she did not rip him to shreds.
Yun Che shut his eyes with lightning speed and his heart violently jumped in his chest. But immediately, a self-righteous voice resounded in his head: What are you nervous and guilty about?! It’s not like you deliberately wanted to peep on her. You were here first! The little lady came after. She was the one who burned up her clothes. To be honest, this means that she took the initiative to let you take a look, it has nothing to do with you at all… Moreover this little lady is so beautiful, if you don’t look, it will literally be a waste to have eyes, a waste of your own life!
This self-righteous voice immediately restored the balance in Yun Che’s heart and he opened his eyes once more. His eyes verily sparkled as he stared unblinkingly at the girl in the heart of the lake… That’s right! It was she who suddenly burned up all her clothes, it’s not like I was peeking at her on purpose!
It has got nothing to do with me at all!
It’d be an absolute waste if I don’t look!
After being previously startled by this young girl’s shocking aura, Yun Che did not dare to take a good look at her. But now that he had realigned his mental state, coupled with the fact that the girl had also withdrawn her aura, he gazed directly at her. And his gaze drank in the magnificence of her natural state. The two people were separated by tens of meters, but this kind of a distance was nothing at all. Given Yun Che’s current visual acuity, it would have been no different if she was standing right in front of him.
As he stared at the girl, Yun Che gradually went into a daze, and he was unwilling to blink even once… He even forgot the scary and sinister feeling that this young girl had given to him before.
The girl’s body was very delicate and it could even be described as rather petite. Narrow snowy shoulders, a slender waist, small buttocks and even her breasts swelled slightly on her chest. Her skin was as snow-white and delicate as a newborn baby’s; it was like jade, pure and smooth without blemish. It was to the extent that it even began to resemble the sparkling, translucent and limpid qualities of white jade. One could even see the faint outlines of blue veins being traced along her skin, and this was especially apparent on her slim and slender snowy thighs, where it was snow-white and tender to the point of being transparent.
If one hugged such an exquisite and delicate body, it would feel as light as air. That fine and narrow waist looked like it could be grasped within the palm of one hand, and on the front of her chest, her two gently swelling snowy mounds were adorned with two flawless light red jade pearls… and this was the most enchanting ornament which crowned itself on her snow-white body, to the point where it took one’s breath away.
At least for Yun Che, he had already found it hard to breathe long ago. A sense of regret and vigilance was birthed in his heart, because he believed that if he looked any longer, there was a possibility that he would let down his guard… But even though he was alerted to this, he was still unwilling to avert his gaze.
Was this little girl… a demoness?!
Profound Sky Continent’s number one beauty was Feng Xue’er.
And the girl in front of him, she could definitely bear the glory of being crowned Illusory Demon Realm’s number one beauty!
As Yun Che was still caught in his stupor, threads of steam began to rise from under the girl’s feet and these threads of steam quickly intertwined, becoming thick columns. In the blink of an eye, the entire surface of the lake became enwreathed in steam. At this moment, following a gurgling sound which rang out, a spray of water churned to the surface of the lake. This spray of water seemed to have sparked a wildfire as the entire surface of the lake lurched and churn as it began to seethe and boil…
No! It was the entire contents of the lake…. It was really boiling!!
Steam ascended to the heavens while the water in the lake violently thrashed about. A sense of heat assaulted Yun Che, and it was only now that he noticed that all the water in the lake had shockingly become a pool of boiling water! The girl still remained fixated in place, not moving an inch as the churning lake water drenched her body. And this jade body that had been covered with dewdrops seemed to sparkle, making it even more tender and lovely than before, causing an intense urge to uncontrollably well up within Yun Che!
However, every single water droplet did not remain on her body for long as they quickly evaporated into vapor. Both of her eyes remained shut, but her delicate and lovely face would sometimes appear to tremble… as if she was in some kind of pain.
“It was as I thought!” Jasmine said, “My guess was right! She has the Golden Crow bloodline but she does not have the 《Golden Crow’s Record of the Burning World》, so as the Golden Crow’s flame energy within her body gradually matures, she will inevitably find it harder and harder to control, which is why she has to use this kind of method to pacify it. Threads and strands of cold energy exist a thousand meters below this lake, which means that this lake was previously a natural cold spring which possessed extremely dense cold energy. This cold spring was used by her to suppress the Golden Crow’s flame energy which was running riot in her body. And it is obvious that she has come here many times, because this cold spring has already become a hot spring because of her!”
Yun Che, “…”
The water in the lake continued to boil as thick steam covered the sky. At this rate, all the water in the lake would evaporate before long. The girl still continued to stand there, not making a sound. Amidst the fleeting mist under the dazzling moonlight with her jade-white delicate body being sprayed with dewdrops, she seemed to be a little fairy wreathed in celestial fog. A fairy who was cleansing her celestial robes in the waters of the Jade Lake, as if she needed to cleanse away all the dust of the vulgar world from her person.
Yun Che’s gaze remained fixated on her and even he did not know how much time had passed, until his throat uncontrollably… made a small movement, and an extremely soft swallowing sound was heard.
This swallowing sound was so soft that even if an ordinary person was extremely close, they would not be able to hear. This was especially so, as the boiling lake water completely engulfed the sound that he had just made. But Yun Che broke out into cold sweat once he made that sound. He instantly recovered his mental faculties and then inwardly said: Oh shit!
It was in this exact instant that he saw the girl in the middle of the lake open her eyes. A cold sinister gaze that seemed to come from a death god shot directly in his direction as a cold killing intent which seemed to be composed of countless icy blades instantly filled the night sky.
Yun Che’s eyes widened into saucers and he did not waste any time thinking. He swiftly opened Purgatory and began to frantically circulate all the profound energy in his body. He activated Extreme Mirage Lightning and using the most extreme speed he could achieve, he desperately fled towards the west.
Boom!!!!!!
The sound of an explosion came and all the water in the lake rushed towards the heavens as they engulfed the girl’s jade body. Once the lake water had fallen back to the earth, the young girl’s figure was already nowhere to be found, only a fast-disappearing afterimage remained… The afterimage of the girl was no longer that of her naked, but an afterimage of her dressed in the exact same grey robes that she had worn before.
When Yun Che borrowed the power of Extreme Mirage Lightning, the speed in which he could achieve was comparable to a late stage Overlord, or even an early stage Monarch. However, it was definitely not able to compare to that of a mid stage Monarch. Even after he had made a mad dash, fleeing away from the place with all his might, in only the span of a few breaths, the air suddenly shimmered with light, and a grey and delicate figure seemed to have teleported right in front of him.
Yun Che eyes flared. He fiercely grit his teeth, and then used all his might to bring his body to a halt. After he managed to come to a stop with much difficulty, he was only less than thirty meters away from the girl… And if he did not use all his effort to stop his movement, he would have definitely barrelled headfirst into the body of the girl.
Those eyes which were as black as night silently glared at him, carving his features into their memory. And under her gaze, Yun Che’s heart suddenly stopped as all the nerves in his body were pulled taut… This may be a girl who was as beautiful as a fairy, but she was also a death god who could take his life at whim! When Yun Che’s urge to kill was provoked by rage, the heaviness of his killing intent was enough to make even enemies who were ten times stronger than him shudder with fear. But this was the first time in his life that he had felt a terrifying killing intent coming from another person that could nearly compare with his own… To possess such a killing intent, this girl must have killed countless people and she must regard life as though it were grass. If she were to kill him, she would do so without batting a single eyelid.
This young master was really only out for a breath of fresh air!
Even though I did take huge advantages of you with my eyes… it’s not enough for me to pay with my life, is it?!
Yun Che forcefully stabilized himself and assumed a completely innocent and harmless posture. He said in a most earnest voice, “Ah, little sister, let me just say this in advance. Before you had arrived, I was already at this place, so I definitely did not peek on you on purpose… Even though I did look, but that was because you stripped yourself for me to see. It has nothing to do with me. Ah, but of course, I am a good man with first-rate morals. So if you definitely want me to take responsibility, I will sincerely consider….”
At this moment and at this time, the only thing Yun Che could think of to save himself from this predicament… was to rely on his good looks.
“You idiot!” Jasmine roared furiously, “What are you doing still standing there for?! Hurry up and run, are you waiting for death?!”
“!~@#%…” As Jasmine’s voice fell, Yun Che’s body already shimmered and he violently fled away like a light wisp of smoke… but where exactly could he run to?! Even if he had cultivated Extreme Mirage Lightning to its highest level, this girl could catch up to him in the span of a few breaths! She was, after all, a mid stage Monarch who was not the least bit inferior to Yun Qinghong!
But this time, the girl did not pursue him. She simply floated there and stared straight at Yun Che’s fleeing figure. She slowly extended a delicate palm which was like snow jade and said,
“Un… for… giv… able!”
This word pierced the heart and an extremely chilling cold sensation spread over Yun Che’s entire body. He swiftly looked back, and discovered that sky around him had turned into a sea of red…
Boom!!!!!!
It was like a volcano had suddenly erupted into life, the entire earth seemed to overturn instantly. The ground fractured and a blood red flame shot out in a straight line, covering a distance of more than three kilometers, coloring the entire night sky red.
Under the roiling thick smoke and the sand which seemed to cover the sky, a huge crater that was tens of meters deep had appeared in the location where Yun Che was at. In a three kilometer radius around that crater, everything had been ground into dust; not even a blade of grass or a small pebble remained.
Countless fires raged around this enormous crater, refusing to die down. Even the skies above were stained with the light of the raging flames, as though the whole sky had begun to burn.
The girl remained at her original spot. It seemed as though she was the only thing that remained in this world. Everything else around her seemed to have disappeared and even Yun Che’s figure had seemingly vanished into thin air.
This terrifying attack was a manifestation of the young girl’s violent urge to kill and absolute fury. Such a horrifying power was enough to instantly burn an Overlord into ashes, much less someone who only emitted the aura of the Sky Profound Realm. But this girl was clearly someone who was meticulous and prudent to the extreme. Even though she could see the devastation she wrought, she did not immediately leave the place. Instead she surveyed her surroundings, probing to see if there was any presence she could detect.
At this moment, a few faint presences could be felt coming from the direction of Demon Imperial City and they seemed to be approaching swiftly. Clearly, the heaven-shaking commotion from before had alerted several strong individuals in Demon Imperial City. The girl was not able to continue searching for any traces or signs of life. Her eyes sank and she spun around. The red light around her body flashed and she seemed to turn into a wisp of smoke, disappearing into the night.
After many breaths had passed in silence, a mound of dirt broke in the middle of the huge crater and Yun Che jumped out, landing on his butt as he pathetically spat out dirt. After that, he began taking huge breaths, desperately inhaling air.
Looking at the deep crater that surrounded him which nearly stretched to where the eye could not see, Yun Che could not help but shudder.
This little lady, she really went too far! This kind of power is enough to extinguish an Overlord like he was a plaything. I am only at the Sky Profound Realm, for heaven’s sake!
Chapter 535 - Yun Family’s Will
That strange little girl’s profound strength was way too scary. She could definitely instant kill an Overlord effortlessly. But with her power from before, even if it wasn’t fire, she couldn’t instantly kill Yun Che. The hell-like eighteen months that he spent on the Primordial Profound Ark refining himself in the spatial storms wasn’t for nothing. Even Jasmine said that with Yun Che’s body now, in terms of strength, he wasn’t weaker than a low-level Monarch, and even his recovery rate far surpassed that of a Monarch.
But “couldn’t instantly kill”, didn’t mean could not kill. With the large difference between their powers, if she wanted to kill Yun Che, it would be as easy as pie.
The energy was fire profound strength, so naturally, it was impossible for it to threaten Yun Che’s life. When the sea of flame fell onto him, he hid himself within the fire, concealed his scent with Hidden Flowing Lightning before the fire went down, went underground… and made it out by a thread.
If it weren’t for Hidden Flowing Lightning, even if he had a hundred lives, he would still be dead.
“There’s someone coming from the south, more than ten people. If you don’t want any trouble, leave here immediately,” Jasmine warned.
Yun Che stood up, dusted himself off, and felt a little afraid… three more days and it would be the Demon Empress’ Grand Ceremony. Originally, he wanted to warm up his body, and get used to Extreme Mirage Lightning, but he almost lost his life because of it. He still had something important that he wanted to do at the Demon Empress’ Grand Ceremony. If he died just like that, he would die without justice.
Yun Che concealed himself, avoided the people who came to check the situation, and went back to Demon Imperial City. On his way back, he was cautious, so his speed was slow. When he finally returned to the Yun Family, the sky was already starting to brighten. At this time, a few people among the Yun Family were already busy working… it was almost the Demon Empress’ Grand Ceremony. The Yun Family treated the Demon Empress’ Grand Ceremony very seriously, because it most likely would determine the future of the Yun Family, so they had to prepare thoroughly.
Yun Che went back to the Yun Family, and immediately passed out. He didn’t mention any of his ‘exciting adventure’ to anyone. After all, he went out in the middle of the night and saw a little girl completely naked… it was not something he wanted to describe to someone else.
————————————————————
Three days passed by in the blink of an eye.
There was nothing different about today’s Demon Imperial City, it was just more crowded. But, even normal people who didn’t have profound strength could feel a different scent in the atmosphere.
Today, the Little Demon Empress had been on the throne for a full hundred years. In the past, every Demon Emperor was on the throne for a thousand years with no exceptions. On the throne for a hundred years meant that it was merely a tenth of the time. However, what was different about this time was, even though she was the Illusory Demon Emperor, her title was not Demon Emperor, but “Little Demon Empress.” Decades ago, before the Little Demon Empress’ hundred-year reign, there had already been an unusual atmosphere in the Illusory Demon Royal Family.
Everyone guessed that today might perhaps be the day the secret movements within the dark would explode… The Hundred Year Grand Ceremony was the perfect timing.
Today in Demon Imperial City, there was a great possibility that something serious would happen.
Yun Che woke up very early, pushed open the door, and saw Yun Qinghong already standing in the courtyard, silently facing those withered grape arbors. Hearing the door being pushed open, he didn’t turn around, and said in a calm voice, “Che’er, you’re awake.”
Yun Qinghong was covered in heavy morning dew, obviously having stood there for a long time. From the shadow of his back, Yun Che saw his burden and seriousness… These days, he had been preparing for the Demon Empress’ Grand Ceremony day and night. The shadow of his back told Yun Che that he was not confident with what was going to happen today… He was even a little pessimistic about it.
Yun Che’s footsteps paused, and after a short hesitation, he said, “Father, I have a question that I always wanted to ask.”
Yun Qinghong turned around and looked at him, “Did you want to ask, why I, your father, would be willing to be this loyal to the Demon Emperor’s Clan?”
“Yes, and no,” Yun Che replied. “The Yun Family is one of the Twelve Guardian Families, loyal to the Demon Emperor’s Clan. It is a mission that has been passed down from our ancestors. Grandfather and the previous Demon Emperor were like brothers. The Little Demon Emperor and Father also called each other brothers. From this, we could see that the Demon Emperor’s Clan had always valued us, the Yun Family. But… after the Little Demon Empress inherited the throne, she placed guilt on our Yun Family several times. On top of losing Grandfather and losing the ten great cornerstones of the Yun Family, it made it even worse. The younger generation also fell behind the other guardian families because of it. Even more so, today’s Yun Family is mocked as unqualified to stay in the Twelve Guardian Families.”
“The Little Demon Empress has been on the throne for a hundred years, and we, the Yun Family, had been guilty for a hundred years, and could not lift our heads and rise. This is the main reason why the Yun Family has been falling so speedily. And in the days that Father controlled the Yun Family, most of the preparations were for the Little Demon Empress, and the preparations for the family were secondary! The Little Demon Empress treated the Yun Family like this, but Father not only held his tongue without any thoughts of betrayal, and you still put in all of your efforts. I… don’t really understand.”
“Blaming the Yun Family wasn’t what the Little Demon Empress wanted,” Yun Qinghong sighed and said. “She blamed the Yun Family out of helplessness. And in this situation, a large part of this was caused by our own Yun Family.”
“Because Grandfather lost the Illusory Demon Royal Family’s Demon Emperor’s Seal?” Yun Che asked.
“That was only the cause,” Yun Qinghong answered. “The Illusory Demon Royal Family ruled all the souls in Illusory Demon Realm, and have the twelve families’ loyal protection. As of today, it has been ten thousand years. In this past ten thousand years, because the Yun Family was backed by the Profound Handle, our overall power had always been above the other guardian families, and had never been surpassed. And because of this, our Yun Family had been valued the most by the Illusory Demon Emperor. During your Grandfather’s generation, he had been given the title of the Demon King, and the Demon Emperor even announced that your Grandfather would have equal footing to him. In reality, that position is even higher than that of dukes! He was below one person, but above all the others.”
“Che’er, if you were from the other guardian families, yet there was someone always above you, how would you feel? There would be envy… Originally, the positions were on the same level, but a member of the Yun Family received the title of ‘Demon King’, glory and honor that the other guardian families all longed for. It also made the position of our whole family immediately surpass that of the other families… How would you feel then? It would be easy to feel envious and imbalanced, and there would be a lot of hatred.”
“…Could it be that, a hundred years ago, the other guardian families joined together and pressured the Little Demon Empress?”
“That’s right,” Yun Qinghong replied, closing his eyes. “Your Grandfather was the Yun Family’s core, and the ten Grand Elders were the Yun Family’s cornerstone. Losing any one of them was a huge blow to the Yun Family. But over the course of one night, we lost your Grandfather and all ten Grand Elders. The highest and most important level of the Yun Family’s skill immediately fell behind. In addition, the Demon Emperor’s Seal was also lost in the Profound Sky Continent. Those guardian families who were envious of the Yun Family all those years finally got their chance, and made people in the Demon Imperial City broadcast the Yun Family’s ‘unforgivable crime’ to the whole Illusory Demon Realm. The whole Illusory Demon Realm was filled with denunciation against the Yun Family, until it was so bad that there had to be some heavy punishment to calm everyone down.
“And that was led by the Helian Family, with over half of the guardian families involved. The families that I am sure that didn’t participate, were your mother’s Mu Family, and the Under Heaven Clan that doesn’t like to make trouble. Led by Duke Huai, various royal clans also criticized our Yun Family, saying that the Yun Family was unforgivable, and if it weren’t for the hard work and protection of ten thousand years, killing the whole clan wouldn’t be too much… It must have been at that time that Duke Huai’s bloodline became disloyal. After all, the Demon Emperor’s bloodline was bound to go extinct, and he hoped to replace it.”
“Back then, the Little Demon Empress had just taken over the throne, so it wasn’t stable, and she was a woman. After her, there would not be any more pure Demon Emperor’s bloodline, and on top of that, due to the loss of the Demon Emperor’s Seal she cannot cultivate in the 《Golden Crow’s Record of the Burning World》 and receive the power only Demon Emperors possess… Under the heavy pressure as though she was walking on thin ice, she couldn’t help but blame the Yun Family. However, she never killed anyone from the Yun Family. She only cut the resources of the Yun Family for a hundred years, and forbade us from entering Golden Crow Lightning Flame Valley, making this generation of the Yun Family poor in resources, and seriously weak… However, this kind of weakness was a shield for our Yun Family. When we were so weak that we couldn’t even be a threat, our enemies left us in peace.”
“I… see…” Yun Che nodded his head slowly.
“Che’er, you have to remember,” Yun Qinghong said seriously. “The First Demon Emperor was a savior to our Yun Family’s ancestor. If it weren’t for the First Demon Emperor’s actions, our clan would have gone extinct ten thousand years ago. We swore that as long as the Demon Emperor’s Clan existed, the Yun Family would protect them. These past ten thousand years, the Yun Family never had the thought of betrayal! And from this day forward, we will continue to keep our word!”
“But, what we’re protecting is the Demon Emperor’s Clan! The inheritor of the Demon Emperor’s bloodline! And not those impure dukes who only have some of the Demon Emperor’s bloodline! Even though the Little Demon Empress is a woman, she has a complete Demon Emperor’s bloodline. Since she is on the throne, she is the real Demon Emperor! As long as she is still on the throne, our Yun Family will do everything we can to protect her loyally.”
“But…” Yun Qinghong’s voice deepened, and his eyes turned cold, “If she was really forced off the throne, and some other impure duke became the Demon Emperor, then the Yun Family’s mission to protect ends there. At that time, leaving the Twelve Guardian Families would actually be something we want! We don’t need a title given by the Royal Familes!”
Yun Qinghong was serious. From his eyes, Yun Che saw determination. Yun Che nodded deeply, “Father, I understand. Even though I didn’t grow up in the family, the blood of the Yun Clan flows in my veins, and even more so, it is the Patriarch bloodline’s blood. I will not disobey Yun Family’s will!”
“Mn.” Yun Qinghong nodded and smiled, even his locked eyebrows relaxed.
Yun Che looked at his expression, hesitated a little, but asked anyways, “That Duke Huai, is he really that powerful? From Father’s expression, it looks like you’re worrying a lot.”
Yun Qinghong sighed softly, “A month ago, you should have already noticed their presumptuous and insidious behavior. That day, Helian Peng said personally that half of the guardian families have already fallen on Duke Huai’s side. Among the Royal Clans, more than sixty percent united with Duke Huai as the leader. They gathered a large amount of experts from the royal families, and recruited strong practitioners from remote areas in the Illusory Demon Realm. Controlling these powers, Duke Huai was naturally able to do whatever he wanted. But the Little Demon Empress is not an indecisive person. She never took any actions towards Duke Huai’s well-known ambitions. It was not that she didn’t want to or didn’t dare to, but because she couldn’t do it. If she really did take action, it would have had difficulty succeeding. In turn, it would give Duke Huai a suitable excuse to pressure her and attack her. On the other hand, even though Duke Huai has enough power, he hasn’t taken action yet, and the main reason is also because he didn’t have an excuse to do so.”
Yun Che, “…”
“Patriarch, all of us are prepared. We are just awaiting Patriarch’s order.”
Outside of the large door, a respectful, serious voice sounded. This voice, belonged to Great Elder Yun Waitian.
Yun Qinghong slanted his eyes, and said, “Okay! Everyone gather in the main hall, we will leave for the Demon Imperial Hall in fifteen minutes!”
“Yes! Patriarch!”
“Che’er, go wake Xiao’er. We should set off.” Yun Qinghong looked up into the sky, as if he wanted to predict heaven’s will for today.
Chapter 536 - Duke Huai
This time, a hundred people from the Yun Family came to the Demon Empress’ Grand Ceremony. Amongst them, about half were young disciples. Out of the thirty-six core elders, twenty-nine of them came along, and the three grand elders were also amongst them.
“None of the three Grand Elders stayed behind. All of them came along. Looks like Father is really going all out this time,” Xiao Yun approached Yun Che and said quietly.
Yun Che nodded, “The other guardian families would probably bring their best along with them as well. Speaking of which, is each family only allowed to bring a hundred people?”
“Mn! At this Demon Empress’ Grand Ceremony, the top forces and leaders from each the major regions in Illusory Demon Realm were invited. But usually they could only bring a maximum of three people. Even those with top skills cannot have more than ten people. Only us, the Twelve Guardian Families, and each major Duke Palace can bring that many people,” Xiao Yun explained. The Demon Empress’ Grand Ceremony had been at the center of worldwide attention for a while, so naturally he had some level of understanding about it.
After all, the Twelve Guardian Families were the most powerful forces within Illusory Demon Realm. Their position was equal to that of the Profound Sky Continent’s Four Great Sacred Grounds, and their existence was meant to protect the Demon Emperor’s clan, so the special treatment came naturally.
“How many people would be at the Grand Ceremony?” Yun Che asked again.
“Uh, I don’t know,” Xiao Yun said as he scratched his forehead. “This is also the first time I attended the Demon Empress’ Grand Ceremony.”
“There would be about one hundred thousand people,” Yun Qinghong, who was walking ahead of the, answered. “Out of these hundred thousand people, none of them are ordinary. This included mayors from major cities, aristocrats, sect masters, profound palace chiefs, and the kings of different races… as well as the young generations that they brought with them, they’ll most likely be a young master or their number one genius. Demon Imperial City is the head of the Illusory Demon Realm, but even though their skills may not be on the same level as the twelve families, they cannot be underestimated.”
“One hundred thousand people…” The scale was close to what Yun Che had expected. This was the first large event that happened after the reign of the Little Demon Empress, and it gathered almost all of the top beings in the whole Illusory Demon Realm. Yun Che thought for a while, and asked, “How many Duke Palaces are in the Illusory Demon Royal Family? How are their strengths?”
“There are a hundred and three Duke Palaces, and the most powerful one is Duke Huai Palace.” Yun Qinghong squinted his eyes and said, “All of these royal families more or less have some of the Demon Emperor’s bloodline. With such natural talent, their cultivating speeds are a lot faster than those of normal beings. In addition, having the most abundant resources and the opportunity to enter Golden Crow Lightning Flame Valley improved them greatly. Because of this, no one in the royal family is mediocre. They are all strong practitioners. Especially the ‘Illusory Demon Seven Scions’ of each generation, their names are well-known all over the world.”
“Each Duke Palace has a shocking amount of strong practitioners, but the scale is still far behind the Twelve Guardian Families. However, over the years, Duke Huai tried to win over all of the other dukes secretly. All of the powers from each major Duke Palace have gathered towards Duke Huai Palace, and on top of that, they used high prices to buy strong practitioners from each clan. Currently, the strength of Duke Huai Palace is unfathomable. Even the guardian families are leaning towards Duke Huai Palace, especially the Helian Clan, they’re clearly on Duke Huai Palace’s side… If Duke Huai really rose in revolt today, the situation would be unfavorable for the Little Demon Empress’ side. But, even though the Little Demon Empress is a woman, she will not go down that easily. What will happen at today’s Demon Empress’ Grand Ceremony… is unpredictable!”
Demon Imperial Palace laid precisely at Demon Imperial City’s center. Before even entering the range of the Demon Imperial Palace, an enormous hall so tall that it was covered by the clouds emerged before their eyes. This hall was so huge that it was almost the size of the entire Yun Family. This Demon Imperial Hall was exactly where the Demon Empress’ Grand Ceremony was to be held. Above the hall, a large crow with its head up high, standing on three legs with golden feathers covering the sky was there, receiving the whole Demon Imperial City’s veneration and worship.
Seeing Yun Che staring straight at the golden crow overhead, Xiao Yun explained, “That is the Golden Crow Divine Beast’s golden sculpture. The Illusory Demon Royal Family’s Demon Emperor’s bloodline is in reference to the Golden Crow’s bloodline. The Golden Crow symbolizes the highest beliefs in Illusory Demon Realm.”
It was still early. The Yun Family’s party wasn’t moving fast, when they were about to enter the main entrance of the Demon Imperial Palace, a group of merely ten or so people was coming over from the other direction. When they reached their destination, all of the guards in front of the palace welcomed and knelt before them.
The leader of that party was dressed luxuriously. His expression revealed an imposingness which came from someone who was naturally born above others. From his eyes, there was arrogance, as if nothing on this world was good enough for him to look at. Seeing the Yun Family’s group, his eyes squinted, and his mouth slightly grinned, as he said with a joyous expression, “Oh? Big Brother Yun! Is it really you?”
Yun Qinghong’s footsteps stuttered. He turned around to look at him, and said softly, “Duke Huai, it’s been a long time.”
Duke Huai?
These two words quickly made Yun Che look to the direction of the person speaking.
Everyone in Demon Imperial City knew about Duke Huai Palace’s ambitions. His schemes were endless, so much so that he was reckless and fearless, and seemed to not be afraid of the Little Demon Empress knowing. Yun Che thought that the Duke Huai would be someone without any manners, but the person who Yun Qinghong called Duke Huai was someone with a smile on his face, who looked harmless and gentle. It was hard to imagine him as someone with ambition that wanted to take over the Demon Emperor’s throne… except for his eyes, which were deep like the dark night, and proud like a lone eagle.
“Hahahaha!” Duke Huai laughed loudly as he walked over, “Big Brother Yun, it really has been a long time. Two months ago I suddenly heard that you and sister-in-law’s body magically healed, this duke was overjoyed. Unfortunately I had to prepare for today’s Grand Ceremony, so didn’t had spare time to come and visit. I feel ashamed to appear before Big Brother Yun, I hope Big Brother Yun wouldn’t be offended.”
Two months ago, not only had Yun Qinghong insulted his son, Duke Hui Ye, he also personally beat up the Venerable Stone Dragon into serious injury… The Venerable Stone Dragon probably didn’t come along today because he hadn’t healed yet, and with that injury, it would most likely take more than half a year to recover completely. At the same time, Duke Huai Palace sending the Helian Family to assassinate Xiao Yun and Number Seven Under Heaven had been exposed. But when this Duke Huai saw Yun Qinghong, he didn’t bring it up at all, as if it had never happened. He even called Yun Qinghong “Big Brother,” so intimately, as if they were brothers through life and death who hadn’t seen each other for many years.
What a smiley poisonous snake… Yun Che laughed coldly to himself.
“Since Duke Huai had that thought, how could this Yun offended,” Yun Qinghong said without emotion.
“Ai!” Duke Huai swung his hand, said with dissatisfaction, “Big Brother Yun, don’t call me ‘Duke Huai’ like a stranger, call me Brother Huai like the old days. I miss the old days when we brothers drank together. How about… after the Demon Empress’ Grand Ceremony, Big Brother Yun come to my shabby duke palace as a guest, and we, as brothers, could drink together, how about that?”
“Duke Huai, I accept your good intentions, but I’ll pass on the drinking.” Yun Qinghong laughed lightly. “The people are the same from back then, but the purpose is not the same as back then. As for the taste of the alcohol, it’s naturally different as well. It has become hard to swallow, so it’s better to not drink it.”
But Duke Huai wasn’t mad at all towards Yun Qinghong’s mockery, “Is Big Brother Yun mad at this duke? Sigh, no wonder. This little brat from this duke’s family doesn’t let people stop worrying… Ye’er, come over here!
Duke Hui Ye came out from the rear, and stood beside Duke Huai. A cold gaze brushed upon Yun Che’s face. Duke Huai said, “I heard that this duke’s good-for-nothing son disrespected Big Brother that day. Sigh, you’ve really humiliated our Duke Huai Palace. Ye’er, hurry up and apologize to your Uncle Yun!”
Duke Huiye gritted his teeth, lowered his head, and said, “Uncle Yun, Hui Ye’s was immature that day, please forgive me.”
Yun Qinghong calmly accepted it, and said softly, “Since you know your own fault, I will not hold a grudge against a junior. Duke Huai, I scolded your son, and embarrassed him in front of everyone that day. I hope Duke Huai wouldn’t mind?”
“Don’t mention it Big Brother Yun!” Duke Huai waved his arm in a forthright manner, “My good-for-nothing son was out there with his reckless behavior, disrespected elders, and caused so much trouble. Big Brother Yun, as his senior, teaching him a lesson is a matter of course. This duke can’t thank you enough, why would I mind? Next time, if this brat disrespects you again, don’t waste your tongue, just beat him up and throw him out.”
Yun Che smiled enigmatically.
“Big Brother, look at the person behind Duke Hui Ye,” Xiao Yun came over, said while lowering his voice.
Yun Che gave a sidelong glance behind Duke Hui Ye; standing there was a tall, muscular, young man. Hui Ye could be considered fair-skinned, handsome, and elegant, while this young man was fierce-looking with sharp aquiline eyes and large muscles on his body. Just looking at him, would make one feel the frightening power hidden within the muscles.
The young man appeared to have felt Yun Che and Xiao Yun’s gaze, as he suddenly stared straight at them. However, his eyes left Yun Che and Xiao Yun after one glance, then he scoffed loudly. His gaze was filled with extreme disdain… as though Yun Che and Xiao Yun didn’t even qualify for him to take another look.
“This man, is Duke Huai’s oldest son, Hui Ran! Head of this generation’s Illusory Demon Seven Scions! Whether it was the Twelve Guardian Families, or the Illusory Demon Royal Families, none under the age of thirty-five was his match! And he had a brutal nature. Those who fought him either were either seriously injured, or died a horrible death,” Xiao Yun said in a low voice. From his voice, Yun Che could hear his deep fear.
Yun Che nodded slightly, and stopped looking at him. Yet at this moment, he realized that Duke Huai’s gaze had suddenly landed on his person.
“Could this be the godson Big Brother Yun had adopted? If this duke remembered correctly, his name should be… Yun Che?” Duke Huai said while smiling. His gaze scanned Yun Che from head to toe, then, he slowly nodded his head, “As expected, his bearing is extraordinary. It is no wonder such a character like Big Brother Yun would adopt him as godson. How could he be someone common? At least from the looks of him, he’s probably even stronger than the biological son.”
Xiao Yun stepped forward, kept a straight face and said, “Big Brother is indeed stronger than me. With a big brother like this as an example, I am confident that I will improve myself even faster. At the very least, I would not embarrass my parents.”
Yun Qinghong nodded his head slightly, his expression was full of approval.
“Good, hahahaha!” Duke Huai laughed loudly, and cupped his hands towards Yun Qinghong, “I forgot to congratulate Big Brother Yun for receiving a godson. However, Big Brother Yun’s adopted son is quite mysterious. This duke had wanted to get to know him a little more these past days, but even with this duke’s eyes and ears, this duke still couldn’t get any information. It really triggers this duke’s curiosity.”
Duke Huai exposed the fact that he looked into Yun Che with a straight face, and didn’t even try to hide it. After saying that, he put his arms down and said, “The Grand Ceremony is about to start, this duke will leave first. When there comes a time that this duke sends an invitation, I hope that Big Brother Yun will not reject me.”
“Let’s go.”
Duke Huai revealed a meaningful smile towards Yun Qinghong, then, he strode to the entrance of the Demon Imperial Palace. When he had one foot in the palace gate, he suddenly stopped, looked toward his front, and sighed with his back towards Yun Qinghong, “Aside from you, Yun Qinghong, within the Twelve Guardian Families, there are no others that this duke has yet been willing to call ‘Big Brother’. If there’s one person who this duke doesn’t want to be an enemy against the most, it would also be you, Yun Qinghong. Today, this duke still calls you Big Brother Yun, and from this day forward, is Big Brother Yun willing to be on an equal footing with this duke and call each other brothers, or… Heh heh, the results will naturally be decided by Big Brother.”
Duke Huai’s remarks stunned the Yun Family and the members of Duke Huai Palace. The legs of the guards who were guarding in front of the palace were trembling, as they kept their heads down, pretending to have heard nothing.
Duke Huai laughed softly and stepped into the palace, with Hui Ran and Hui Ye following closely behind.
“Royal father, why did you did you show so much courtesy towards that Yun Qinghong? And even making the promise of having equal footing afterwards? How is he qualified?” Duke Hui Ye asked in confusion.
“Heh heh,” Duke Huai smiled lightly, and said with deep emotion, “The Yun Qinghong that you know about had always been a useless cripple. But the Yun Qinghong from before you were born, was the real Yun Qinghong. If you were born a few decades earlier, you wouldn’t have asked this question. The previous Demon Emperor gave Yun Canghai the title of ‘Demon King’ back then, and even allowed him to have equal footing as him. The Little Demon Emperor even saw Yun Qinghong as an example since he was young, and called him Big Brother. Even I, your father, was required back then by your grandfather to set Yun Qinghong as a goal!”
“Ah…” Duke Hui Ye was stunned, and couldn’t say a word.
“Hmph!” Hui Ran scoffed in disdain, “Royal father, you are being too serious. Even if he’s that strong, with his age, he could be a mid-stage Monarch at most. So the Yun Family has another mid-stage Monarch, how much of a threat can he be? There was no need for royal father to bribe him with ‘equal footing’!”
Duke Huai paused in a brief silence, and said, “Probably because the image of him is too deep in this duke’s heart. Everything is prepared, and this duke’s heart is extremely assured, but the thought of him having already recovered, there’s an uneasy feeling… This feeling, makes this duke feel extremely unpleasant!”
Chapter 537 - Uncle Your Sister!
After entering Demon Imperial Palace, Yun Che followed Yun Qinghong and sprinted straight for Demon Imperial Hall.
Decorated with glass tiles and golden domes, the atmosphere was extremely grand and majestic… This was the first time Yun Che entered the Demon Imperial Hall, and he was deeply astonished. He did not feel like he entered a massive palace, but instead felt like he had stepped into another world. Even Phoenix City of Divine Phoenix Empire paled in comparison to this.
“The Yun Clan has arrived!”
The seats in Demon Imperial Hall, were nearly filled and those prideful rulers of their respective territories all acted cautiously within Demon Imperial City, not daring to even talk too loudly. They had arrived many days ago, and they had even come here many hours before the start of the ceremony when the sun had not even risen. Only the top powers within Demon Imperial City would come just before the ceremony started.
Following the shout from the guard in front of the hall, the noise within the Demon Imperial Hall quickly quieted as numerous gazes shot towards the main entrance of the hall.
The Yun Family has always been the leading family among the Twelve Guardian Families, and even though they had fallen to last place, they were still an existence admired by the masses.
The arrival of the Yun Clan caused all focus to shift onto them, as all kinds of expressions and gazes appeared on people’s faces. Numerous people revealed an expectant expression, as though they hoped a good show would happen… Because the seats and positions arranged for the Yun Family was vastly different from the past.
A grand ceremony of this magnitude only happened once every hundred years. The Twelve Guardian Families who possessed esteemed status were naturally given golden seats. In the past, Yun Family, being the head of the Twelve Guardian Families while also possessing the greatest strength the same time, were the most highly regarded family by the different every Demon Emperor. Therefore, they were always given the leading seat closest to the Demon Emperor. It had always been his case, no matter if it was the Little Demon Emperor’s Succession Ceremony a hundred years ago, or the Little Demon Empress Succession Ceremony which soon followed.
That seat had belonged to the Yun Family for the past ten thousand of years, and had always been the pride of the Yun Family!
Today however, that seat was not labelled “Yun”, but instead the word “Helian”!
Although the seats of the Yun Family were still at the center of the hall, its seats were now the last of the twelve families and were placed at the very end! Even the word “Yun” was smaller than that of the other families.
For ten thousand years, the seating area of the Yun Family had never been changed before. Now, it was not only changed, it was shifted from first to the last place.
As though declaring and mocking Yun Family’s great downfall to everyone present, as well as the entire Illusory Demon Realm.
Even an idiot could tell with one look that this was intentionally done by someone to mock the Yun Family. It was also obvious who it was that did this… Because the arrangement of the entire ceremony was planned by those the royal families.
When the Yun Family saw their seats, the looks on all their faces changed.
“Simply outrageous!” Great Elder Yun Waitian clenched his fists, as he thought about his son who had been administered with venom by people from Duke Huai Palace and then eventually died under the hands of Duke Hui Ye. The anger within him caused his body to tremble and glare with hatred.
“This is too much! Are they really treating our Yun Family as a nobody!” Second Elder Yun Duanshui said with a face full of anger.
“Let’s enter our seats.” Yun Qinghong replied plainly, then, he kept quiet. His face was as calm as always. He did not show any signs of anger or displeasure, not even a slight frown. With uniform gait, he looked straight at the sign of “Yun” and walked towards the seats.
In an instant, everyone who were hoping to watch a good show were sorely disappointed. Some could not even help but come to admire Yun Qinghong, or even respect him. As calm as the clouds, indifferent, even when humiliated or favored. The “underhanded blow” that the members of the royal family whom possessed ulterior motives had set were not only unable to insult the Yun Family one bit, it instead showed the world the superb demeanor of the Yun Family Patriarch in such a short amount of time.
With such a Patriarch, even if the Yun Family had fallen temporarily, no one would dare to belittle them.
“Three Grand Elders, please.” Arriving at the seats, Yun Qinghong did not sit down immediately, and instead, paid respects as a junior to invite the three Grand Elders, Yun Jiang, Yun He, Yun Xi into their seats first. The three Grand Elders acknowledged him with a slight smile, and entered their seats at the same time. Only after that did Yun Qinghong enter his seat.
The seats for the various major Duke Palaces were similarly golden and the various Duke Palaces surrounded the Duke Huai Palace like stars crowding around the moon. From the moment Yun Qinghong walked in, Duke Huai’s gaze never shifted away from him . Only until Yun Qinghong had sat down did he look down slightly. Even his chest seemed to rise and fall obviously as he said quietly: “Yun Qinghong… is undoubted still Yun Qinghong.”
“Are you worried that this Yun Qinghong will thwart our plans?” Beside him, a luxuriously dressed middle-aged man with a clean white face asked with a grin. However, from how he dressed, he was obviously not a part of Duke Huai Palace.
“After hearing news of Yun Qinghong’s sudden recovery, this duke’s heart became unsettled, and it was inevitable that this duke would be worried.” Duke Huai said: “Doesn’t Duke Zhong agree?”
“Hehe, Duke Huai is being over sensitive.”The person called “Duke Zhong” smiled as though he did not care: “He only returned to being Yun Qinghong from a crippled person and it’s at most only another person that is an obstacle. Yun Qinghong is only a hundred and seventy years old, and even if he were a thousand seven hundred years old and reached late stage Monarch, what can he do? He would at most be an obstacle that is a little troublesome. He wouldn’t even be capable to cause any changes to our plans… With strength that we have gathered for so long, in this world, is there really anyone that exist who can thwart our plans?”
“I hope it really is this duke just being too oversensitive.” Duke Huai said faintly after closing his eyes.
The tolerance Yun Qinghong displayed caused everyone to be impressed. The members of the Yun Family could also clearly feel the changes in everyone’s looks around them, and only then, did the sense of shame they felt get greatly reduced.
Although everyone from the Yun Family entered their seats, their faces were extremely unpleasant, especially the younger disciples whom all revealed faces of anguish, as they lowered their heads, unwilling to interact with any other members of the Guardian Families, especially the members of the Helian Family who were now sitting at the leading center seat, looking at them with gazes of contempt and ridicule. Dropping from the center seat to the seat at the end, such a feeling was hard to bear.
Yun Qinghong swept his gaze toward his back. When he stopped, he said plainly: “What? Is sitting here such an embarrassing thing?”
The disciples of the Yun Family looked up in shock, uncertain how to answer.
“If just a seat could make you guys feel so discouraged and embarrassed, or if your pride needs to be satisfied by the position of the seat, then continue lowering your heads and let everyone present see your good-for-nothing look of grievance and humiliation!”
“A truly strong person, a real man, would not kneel even if his feet were being crippled, nor would he lower his head even if his neck was being snapped apart! If it were our Family Ancestors that shook the world, forget about seats being placed towards the end, even if they were being pressured into the mud, they would stick their chest out proudly and act with pride! Because this is strength and pride that was etched in one’s bones! No matter what kind of seats we’re sitting on, it is not embarrassing… How you are all acting right now, is the true embarrassment!”
Yun Qinghong’s words were like a timely wakeup call that violently rang within the heart and soul of every Yun Family disciples. In an instant, they felt as though a fire had started to burn within their chest, and all the blood in their body, along with the pride and strength hidden deep within it, had been ignited. Every one of them raised their heads and looked up, the weak gaze they had previously was replaced by a determination as they looked at everyone else proudly.
“Patriarch, we are not good-for-nothings! As disciples of the Yun Family, we will not lose to anyone!” A young Yun Family disciple said out loud and the other disciples quicked echoed, as a sense of excitement and pride that was suddenly ignited filled the entire Yun Family seats, completely swallowing the previous lifelessness in an instant.
“Good!” Yun Qinghong nodded slowly: “Now these are my Yun Family men! If you yourselves feel that you aren’t equal to others, then our Yun Family will never prosper again! If you think that you are strong, our Yun Family… will be strong!”
“Yes, Patriarch!!!” The entire Yun Family echoed in unison. Each of the short two words was deafening, nearly shattering the roof of the hall, as it directly broke into the skies.
Seeing Yun Qinghong’s back, Great Elder Yun Waitian was stunned a while, before he muttered to himself: “All the experience I’ve obtained all these years, I thought that if I had became the Patriarch, I would not pale in comparison to the current Patriarch… It is only now that I know my thinking was simply a joke.”
Second Elder Yun Duanshui smiled slightly, speaking with deep lament: “Every generation of our Patriarch inherits not only their bloodline, but also the spirit that allows us to prosper generation after generation!”
“The Mu Clan has arrived!”
Following a shout that came from outside the hall, the Mu Family of the Twelve Guardian Families also entered the hall. Leading them was a authoritative looking elder. Even though he was old, his face did not have one bit of wrinkle, and his hair and beard were all black. Only from his slightly bent eyebrows, long beard, and plain clothes did he actually look like he was an “elder”.
On his right, was the young master of the Mu Family, Mu Yubai!
The identity of this elder was obvious.
“It’s Grandpa!” Xiao Yun exclaimed in excitement. He was very familiar with this elder, but this was the first time Yun Che had ever seen this person… His biological grandfather! Mu Family’s current Patriarch —— Mu Feiyan.
The Mu Family seat was just on the right of the Yun Family, just adjacent to one another. Mu Feiyan gaze swept in front of him as he walked with big strides, and when he arrived at the Yun Family seats, he brows quivered ferociously. Unconcerned with the presence of everyone that gathered, he scolded in rage: “Bastard things! They actually put your Yun Family at the end!”
Yun Qinghong stood up and replied with a smile: “Calm down Father-in-law, even though our family has been married for generations, we had never been next to each other before during a ceremony. Today, this will no longer be a regret, and can be considered something to rejoice about.”
Hearing this, Old Master Mu who was exhaling heavily and staring widely instantly slapped Yun Qinghong’s shoulder and laughed loudly: “Good Son-in-law, I knew that such a small matter is so insignificant that you will not put it to heart. Oh? Is this kid that godson of yours?”
Mu Yurou pulled Yun Che and Xiao Yun out together, then said with a smile: “Che’er, this is my father. You can call him Grandfather, just like Xiao’er.”
“Grandfather.” Yun Che respectfully called out without hesitation, because the elder standing in front him now was his grandfather, and he had a quarter of his blood.
“Mn, good kid. I can tell that you’re different with just a glance. Especially your eyes, they look like Qinghong’s when he was young.” Mu Feiyan examined Yun Che for a while and praised: “Yubai usually does not praise anyone, but he speaks about you nearly everyday during these past few days. I’ve heard so much that calluses are about to grow out of my ears.”
In his admiring glance were signs of deep gratitude. He knew that Yun Qinghong and Mu Yurou’s full recovery was all thanks to Yun Che. With his vast experience, he obviously knew that such matters could not be revealed in public, or else troubles would be invited.
“I thank Grandfather for the praise.” Yun Che replied with a full smile.
“These three are all my elder brothers. In the future, you can call them uncle like Xiao’er.” Mu Yurou pointed at the three brothers who looked alike, and were standing behind Mu Feiyan: “That’s your Third Uncle Mu Yuqing and that’s your Second Uncle Mu Yukong.”
“Yun Che greets Second and Third Uncle.” Yun Che greeted with respect.
Only Yun Qinghong, Mu Yurou, Xiao Yun and Yun Che knew of Yun Che’s true identity because he said that he did not want to reveal it yet, and Yun Qinghong and Mu Yurou agreed to his request. However, Mu Yurou obviously could not control her urge to let her precious son reunite with his uncles.
Mu Yuqing looked exceptionally young. He received Yun Che’s greeting with a smile, not forgetting to praise him: “No wonder even Brother-in-law is willing to accept you as his godson. Let’s not talk about anything else, but just his looks alone are already not below me in my prime.”
Mu Yukong slapped his forehead and replied helplessly: “Old Three suddenly gaining a nephew has indeed caused him to get carried away. Mn, Yun Che, your address of “Second Uncle” won’t be for nothing. Next time when you visit our Mu Family, I’ll definitely supplement you with a gift.”
“This is your Great Uncle, Che’er you’ve seen him before already.” Mu Yurou pointed to Mu Yubai and said.
Yun Che went forward and greeted in all seriousness: “Great Uncle…”
“Uncle your sister!” Mu Yubai waved his hand and yelled in dissatisfaction: “Didn’t we agree to be sworn brothers earlier. Are you going back on your word? Or do you think I, Mu Yubai, am not fit to be your sworn brother?!”
Chapter 538 - The Twelve Families
There was no doubt that Mu Yubai was a prideful person. This was the first time in his life that he had wanted to become sworn brothers with someone else, and he was even willing to lower his own seniority to do so with someone who was in his early twenties. If he were to still be rejected, it would mean that he would have lost all the face that he had earned in his life thus far.
Therefore, since he had already said it, he had to get this brother! It had to happen no matter what!
Yun Qinghong, Mu Yurou and Xiao Yun’s faces changed drastically. One month ago, Mu Yubai said he wanted to become sworn brothers with Yun Che, and although they thought that their ages weren’t really suitable, there were no major problems. Now, however, knowing that Mu Yubai was Yun Che’s blood related uncle, if it really were to happen… it would become a huge joke.
Yun Che laughed awkwardly, and said: “Of… Of course it’s not that I’m not unwilling. How about this, if senior still wants to become sworn brothers with me after today’s Grand Ceremony, I would definitely not refuse.”
“Good!!” Just as Yun Che finished speaking, Mu Yubai quickly shouted in reply, as though he was afraid Yun Che would go back on his word. He valiantly continued: “A real man never goes back on his word! I, Mu Yubai, will never go back on anything I say, even in death! We will go through the ceremony tomorrow, whoever goes back on his word would be the son of a turtle! All of you are going to be witnesses!”
“This…” Xiao Yun scratched his head, as he looked away, not daring to look at Mu Yubai.
“Hohoho…” Yun Qinghong laughed in a weird and shady manner.
Mu Yurou grinned until her eyes became two lines: “Big Brother, this is what you said yourself, none of us forced you to.”
The three weird expressions caused Mu Yubai to have a sense of unease. He stared widely and asked in caution: “What’s going on? Are you guys hiding something from me?”
“Enter your seats quickly, the ceremony is going to start in an hour. Today is not the day for you to fool around. Already nearly two hundred years old and you still haven’t given me a grandson, what kind of man are you? Hmph.” Mu Feiyan said with disdain as he walked with big strides towards the Mu Family seats.
The word “grandson” immediately silenced his three sons. They moved behind the old man, not daring to even utter another word. Mu Feiyan had three sons and one daughter, but even though his daughter had married Yun Qinghong, his three sons were still single until now, not providing him any signs of the arrival of a grandson. Whenever Patriarch Mu becomes angry at home, it was because of this matter nine times out of ten. This was also why he had not yet given the Patriarch position to Mu Yubai.
He could only blame his three sons whose fear of marriage was etched deep within their bones. Normally, they were casual and unrestrained, but when they thought about being controlled by a woman when they got married, they would shrink away. The fact that Mu Yubai was persistent about making Yun Che his sworn brother was a sign of just how “carefree” a person he was. As for the responsibility of giving Old Man Mu a grandson, the three brothers always pushed around the responsibilities. Many times, Old Man Mu would get so enraged that he would beat up the three brothers… Even so, not one of them had gotten married.
“The Under Heaven Clan has arrived!”
The Under Heaven Family was led by Patriarch Greatest Ambition Under Heaven and Yun Che could see Unparalleled Under Heaven in the group. Slightly behind him, he could see Number One Under Heaven. There was also Number Three Under Heaven and Number Six Under Heaven whom he had met three months ago, and the others elves who were in line with them were probably Number Two Under Heaven, Number Four Under Heaven and Number Five Under Heaven. At their center was the elf girl who caused Xiao Yun’s bottom to leave the seat with a scraping sound as he said agitatedly: “Seventh Sister… It’s Seventh Sister!”
As a clan of the elven race, not only did the Under Heaven Family possess eye-catching long ears and diaphanous wings, a distinct aura of nature energy could be felt emanating from their bodies. When they arrived, it seemed as though a cool breeze had just blown through the entire hall, causing everyone to feel refreshed.
Seeing where the Yun Family were seated, Greatest Ambition Under Heaven was stunned for a moment. When he went past the Yun Family seats, he nodded towards Yun Qinghong, but did not say anything. Number One Under Heaven also nodded towards Yun Che.
Number Seven Under Heaven secretly stole a glance at Xiao Yun before lowering her head and biting her lips. She had not seen him for three months and in three months, the thing she understood the most was that her chance of meeting Xiao Yun was become slimmer and slimmer…
The Under Heaven Family seats were adjacent to the Mu Family seats.
Xiao Yun’s eyes followed Number Seven Under Heaven, and only when she sat down did he look away. His eyes were not focused, he was lifeless, and his face covered with dejection. Yun Che looked at his expression, and sighed silently. He knew Xiao Yun’s eyes were downcast… He was not Yun Qinghong’s real son, and the fact that he was from the Profound Sky Continent was already a given. This caused the original obstacles between him and Number Seven Under Heaven to increase tremendously.
The backgrounds of the two of them… were of two completely different worlds.
“Given up already?” Yun Che asked with a faint smile.
Xiao Yun shook his head: “I would never be willing to give up on Seventh Sis, but now I… Now I… really don’t know what to do.”
“Then don’t think about this for now. A favorable turn of events often happens when one least expects it to.” Yun Che said with a smile before his tone turned more serious: “Xiao Yun, the Twelve Families are almost all here, give me a brief introduction of them, especially the leaders and the elites of the young generation.”
“Ohhh, alright!” Xiao Yun nodded. The Twelve Families were the strongest existence in Illusory Demon Realm, so their leaders and the rising stars below the age of thirty-five were naturally names that shook the world. Xiao Yun, having been Yun Family’s Young Patriarch for the past twenty years was naturally familiar with these people.
He pointed directly opposite at a seat that was labeled with the word “Xiao” and said: “That is the Xiao Family of the Twelve Families. Their original form is the Howling Heaven Pegasus and their Family profound skill allows them to control tempests. Their Patriarch is Xiao Xifeng and rumor has it that he is in the second level of the Sovereign Profound Realm. For the young generation, the strongest is also their Young Patriarch, the person in blue, standing beside Xiao Xifeng… His name is Xiao Donglai, and even though he is twenty-five this year, which is two years younger than Yun Xinyue, he is at the same profound level as Yun Xinyue, fourth level of the Tyrant Profound Realm.”
Yun Che nodded, remembering every word he said.
Xiao Yun pointed to the seats on the right of the Xiao Family which were labelled “Jiufang”: “That is the Jiufang Family. They are of the demon race and their original form is the Nine-Headed Flood Dragon. Their family profound art is a frighteningly deadly poison technique and they have a very deep relationship with the Helian Family. There would be marriages between the families nearly every generation. The current Patriarch is Jiufang Kui and the person beside him is Young Patriarch Jiufang Yu. He is thirty this year and his profound strength also seem to be in the fourth level of the Tyrant Profound Realm… However, it is rumored that he possesses a rare innate Flood Dragon Poison, the ‘Nine Emperor Venom Body’, that only appears within the Jiufang Family once every four thousand years. If one is poisoned by it, it is said that even a low level Monarch would find it hard to dispel.”
“The Lin Clan is a clan of human-demon hybrids. Their Patriarch is Lin Guiyan and the strongest of the young generation is the person sitting directly being Lin Guiyan… Lin Hanchuan, twenty-nine years old, fifth level of the Tyrant Profound Realm.”
“Nangong Family, human race. They are called the strongest sword users of the Illusory Demon Realm and use dual blades as their main weapon. Their Patriarch is Nangong Zhi and strongest of the young generation is the youngest son of the Eighth Elder —— Nangong Yan.”
“The Chiyang Clan has arrived!”
A loud shout interrupted Xiao Yun’s narration. Yun Che turned to look at the main door where a scarlet family was entering while bringing along a heatwave.
Members of this family were fully dressed in red, and even their hair and eyebrows were scarlet. As they entered, the temperature rose drastically. Some of the weaker profound practitioners who hailed from more distant regions, who were on the weak side were caught off guard as their skins burned with a burst of acute pain. Only when they hurriedly channeled their profound energy did they barely withstand it.
“That is the Chiyang Family, their original form is the Scorching Sunfire Dragon! They are a race of true dragons and are very strong. Their combined strength only loses out to the Helian Family and the Su Family. They possess the Scorching Sun Dragon Body and the speed at which they practice profound cultivation and learn profound skills is much faster than normal humans and demons. Their current Patriarch is Chiyang Bailie and the strongest of the young generation… Err, it’s that girl.”
In the direction Xiao Yun pointed, Yun Che could see a young woman standing beside Chiyang Bailie. She looked pretty, was tall, had scarlet hair, and a tinge of scarlet came from her wheat colored skin.
The most eye-catching thing about her were the scarlet colored tight leather clothes that she wore. The scarlet leather shirt was short and wrapped around her voluptuous breasts, yet it revealed her flat stomach and navel. Her shorts were an even shorter pair of red tight leather waist pants that only barely held her butt and completely revealed her slender long legs. Hanging on the pants was a coiled scarlet whip, and unorganized lines of fire flickered about continuously upon it… It only took one look to evidently see that this was not a normal artifact.
This wild and hot look immediately drew the gaze of countless young men; each one of them eyes shone brightly, salivating. However, it was obvious that she was already used to this kind of attention as she walked with her head held high; the elegance and pride clearly shone on her face.
“This appearance is too bold. If my wife dares to dress like this, I would definitely divorce her.” Yun Che said with a crooked mouth, then immediately added: “If it’s only to show me alone, then it would be different.”
“Cough. She’s called Chiyang Yanwu, it is said that her affinity with fire is almost equal to her ancestors from the ancient era. Her talent is frightening and although she is only twenty-four, she is already at the peak of the fifth level of the Tyrant Profound Realm, about to advance to the sixth level. However…” Xiao Yun lowered his voice and continued: “This Chiyang Yanwu has a reputation in Illusory Demon Realm for being very prideful and it’s said that no man has made her look at him straight in the eye before.”
“Among the Twelve Guardian Families, there is actually a family whose strongest practitioner in the young generation is a woman, this is interesting.” Yun Che rubbed his chin and said.
“Actually, it is not only the Chiyang Family that has a female as their strongest in the young generation.” Xiao Yun pointed to the family who was labelled “Bai” and said: “That is the Bai Family who are also of the demon race. Their original form is the Cloud-winged White Tiger. Their Patriarch is Bai Yi and the strongest of their young generation is the girl on his left —— Bai Jie, thirty years old, fifth level of the Tyrant Profound Realm.”
“Oh.” Yun Che nodded gradually, before his brows twitched: “Er, Bai Jie?”
“Eh? Does Big Brother know her?” Xiao Yun asked in shock.
“No, no. I definitely don’t.” Yun Che shook his head: “It’s probably the first time I’ve heard that name, but why do I find it so familiar… Never mind, tell me about Helian Family.”
Chapter 539 - Drawing a Clear Line
“The Helian Family are of the Nine-headed Demon Snake race. Their current Patriarch is Helian Kuang and that Helian Peng Big Brother saw two months ago is his younger brother. The strongest of the Helian Family’s young generation is that person sitting next to Helian Peng… Helian Ba! He and the Su Family’s Su Zhizhan are the strongest among the all the juniors from the Twelve Guardian Families. However, Helian Ba is thirty-one years old this year, while Su Zhizhan is only twenty-seven, so in terms of innate talent, Su Zhizhan is slightly superior to Helian Ba.”
“Su Family?” Yun Che swept his eyes over the seating arrangements of the Twelve Families. The Twelve Families were split into two, one side east and the other west. The Helian, Chiyang, Bai, Nangong, Lin, Jiufang and Xiao Families were seated on the east side, while their own Yun Family, Mu Family, and Under Heaven Clan were seated on the west side. And the northern-most seats on the west side were labelled with the word ‘Su’, but the seats were still empty as the Su Family had not arrived yet.
“The Su Clan has arrived!”
Just at the moment Yun Che was looking in the direction of the Su Family seats, a loud, clear voice rang out from the front of the main hall. The one hundred members of the Su Family entered as one body and they directly marched over to where their seats were.
The middle-aged man who led the group came to a stop once he passed by the Yun Family. He cupped his hands towards Yun Qinghong, “Brother Yun, I hope you’ve been well?”
Yun Qinghong stood up and faintly smiled, “Everything has been splendid. Big Brother Su’s profound strength seems to have once again risen significantly, congratulations on this great news.”
“Haha, I am still far off compared to the freakish talent that is Brother Yun.” The middle-aged man laughed in a free and easy manner, “Zhizhan, hurry up and greet Uncle Yun.”
“Zhizhan greets Uncle Yun.” The youth who stood beside the middle-aged man made junior’s courtesy. His expression was filled with respect and he was neither servile nor overbearing. He was of uncommon bearing but after Yun Che saw his eyes, he had a feeling that this fellow was also someone who was filled with conceit… but that was to be expected. Because all these absolute geniuses from the best families had grown up amidst the constant admiration and astonishment of others; it would be even more abnormal if they did not possess any arrogance whatsoever.
After they had said their greetings to the Yun Family, Mu Family and the Under Heaven Family, the Su Family took their seats. Xiao Yun resumed his introductions without missing a beat, “The person who greeted Father just now is the current Patriarch of the Su Family, Su Xiangnan. And the young man was the aforementioned Su Zhizhan. The current strength of the Su Family is only inferior to that of the Helian Clan, but Su Zhizhan will definitely not lose to Helian Ba; both of them are at the sixth level of Tyrant Profound Realm, but if they were the same age, Su Zhizhan would definitely be the superior one.”
“The Su Family is the same as our Yun Family, in that both families are all humans, so the relationship between both our families have been in good standing for generations. Patriarch Su is also Father’s longtime friend. In the years that father was crippled, he personally came to visit many times.” Xiao Yun explained in detail.
Yun Che slowly nodded his head. Moreover, from the looks that Yun Qinghong and Su Xiangnan had exchanged just now, he could surmise that the Su Family was definitely not an enemy.
“That ‘Yan’ Family to the right of the Su Family, are they also humans?” Yun Che pointed at the position the Yan Clan was seated.
“Yes.” Xiao Yun nodded his head, “The Yan Family are called the Divine Spear Clan and all the members of that family use the spear as their weapon. They also had a pretty good relationship with our Yun Family all this while. One hundred years ago, the Yan Family was basically considered the weakest of the Twelve Guardian Families, but now it is a title our Yun Family ignonimously bears… The Yan Family’s Patriarch is called Yan Zijing and their Young Patriarch is Yan Chengkong, twenty-six years old, third level of the Tyrant Profound Realm.
“The Under Heaven Clan are of the elven race and their weapon of choice are profound bows and arrows. The Patriarch is Seventh Sister’s father, Greatest Ambition Under Heaven, and the Young Patriarch is Seventh Sister’s eldest brother, Number One Under Heaven. The one who is representing their young generation is Seventh Sister’s sixth brother, he should be twenty-eight this year, fourth level of the Tyrant Profound Realm.”
After Xiao Yun’s introduction, Yun Che now had a good grasp of the basic information regarding the Twelve Families.
“Xiao Yun, what kind of level are Duke Huai Palace’s Hui Ran and Hui Ye at?”
At the mention of these two names, Xiao Yun’s expression clearly became a lot more nervous, “Hui Ye is at the sixth level of the Tyrant Profound Realm and he is the third amongst the Illusory Demon Seven Scions. And that Hui Ran, I heard that he is already at the eighth level of the Tyrant Profound Realm?”
Yun Che’s brows twitched, “A late stage Overlord? The Twelve Families are already considered the pinnacle of power in the Illusory Demon Realm, so why is their young generation so lacking in comparison?”
“The various great Duke Palaces of the Illusory Demon Royal Family have always been small in number, so their combined power will not be as strong as the Twelve Families. But in the end, they are still royalty so they have access to the best resources. Thus, the elites they produce, especially those elites from the young generation, had extra advantages which far outstripped what was available to the Twelve Families. Every generation’s Illusory Demon Seven Scions will be, on a whole, stronger than the twelves prodigies from the Guardian Families, but they won’t be that much stronger… This Hui Ran is a rare monster, his innate talent is so high that it’s bizarre. Moreover, Duke Huai Palace has definitely spared no expense in using an extreme amount of resources on his body to allow him to have an abnormal strength that far surpasses his age!”
“I heard from Mother, that when Father was thirty years old, he was also at the eighth level of the Tyrant Profound Realm, so this Duke Hui Ran is as strong as Father was when he was young.” Xiao Yun said in a rather dissatisfied tone. This was because, at least where the Yun Family was concerned, Duke Huai Palace was an evil adversary.
“Oh, these two cases are very different to me.” Yun Che faintly shook his head, “Father had an innate potential which distinguished itself from the rest, whereas this Hui Ran had access to extra resources that far exceeded what our father ever had in his youth. He may be comparable to Father when they were both this age, but once you look to the future, he definitely will not have the qualifications to be compared with Father at all.”
“Mn, well said, Big Brother!” Xiao Yun said in a voice filled with agreement.
Yun Qinghong glanced at this set of brothers and he gave a dry laugh. After that, he looked forward and kept silent, not uttering a single word.
It was only fifteen minutes away from the official start of the grand ceremony, so at this moment, the Demon Imperial Hall was already filled to the brim. The various dignitaries, hegemons, main powers within the Demon Imperial City, Twelve Families and the great Duke Palaces had all assembled. Yun Che turned his head, and he was just about to ask Yun Qinghong some questions regarding the Little Demon Empress when he suddenly noticed that Yun Qinghong’s expression was far more grave now as compared to when they had first entered. Yun Che furrowed his brows. His eyes swept across the crowd, but they began to slowly relax a bit.
The center of the Demon Imperial Hall was directly north and it was where the Demon Emperor would be seated. The two core seating arrangements which were closest to the Demon Emperor were divided into an east and west wing, and these core seats were where the various great Duke Palaces and Twelve Families were seated. The Su Family, Yan Family, Under Heaven Family, Mu Family and Yun Family were arrayed from north to south on the west wing. Whereas the Helian Family, Chiyang Family, Bai Family, Nangong Family, Lin Family, Jiufang Family and Xiao Family were arrayed from north to south on the east wing.
The west wing, where the Yun Family was seated, had a total of five Guardian Families.
Whereas the east wing had a total of seven Guardian Families!
The specific seating arrangement was:
East Wing (north to south): Helian, Chiyang, Bai, Nangong, Lin, Jiufang, Xiao.
Middle (north): Little Demon Empress.
West Wing (north to south): Su, Yan, Under Heaven, Mu, Yun.
The two wings had were exactly the same but the Twelve Guardian Families had not split themselves up equally, so this ended up with one wing having five while the other had seven and this presented an uncomfortable asymmetry… And this asymmetry, during a grand ceremony where all the heroes of the land had gathered, definitely had to have some meaning.
And the same imbalance occurred with regards to where the Duke Palaces had seated themselves. There were also more royalty seated in the east wing than in the west wing. This even created a gap in the golden seats that were originally reserved for the royal family. Some aristocrats and nobility who were not from the Demon Imperial City were arranged to be seated there instead, causing their expressions to be terrified as this excessive, unexpected good favor left them restless.
“Father, the seating arrangements seem extremely problematic this time?” Yun Che asked in a low voice.
Yun Qinghong slowly nodded his head, “The situation is much worse than I thought it would be… far, far worse! This seating arrangement could be said to be drawing a clear line.”
That’s right, this was indeed drawing a clear line!
For those who were not from Demon Imperial City, they naturally could not tell what was happening. But as for those who lived in the Demon Imperial City, especially the members of the Twelve Guardian Families and the royal family, they could tell with a single glance… that the Guardian Families and royalty sitting in the east wing were either aligned towards Duke Huai, or had even completely defected to his side.
On the west wing, there was no one who was aligned with Duke Huai; they were all still loyal to the bloodline of the Demon Emperor and as such, they were also loyal to the Little Demon Empress!
At first, Yun Che was still rather unclear as to which of the Twelve Guardian Families had thrown in with Duke Huai, but now, it was clear as day! And this was clearly deliberate on Duke Huai’s part; he was showing to all those assembled that the power that he held was already this great… and it was a power that already completely suppressed those who were still loyal to the Little Demon Empress!
Such a seating arrangement, such brazen and unscrupulous behavior… Duke Huai’s intentions and desires were made abundantly clear during this grand ceremony!
The various Patriarchs and Elders of the Su Family, Yan Family, Under Heaven Family, Mu Family and Yun Family exchanged glances and their expressions became incomparably grave. None of them had predicted that the situation would be quite so severe, that the power Duke Huai had been gathering covertly all these years would actually be so terrifying.
“Is it really so unbearable to have a woman as a ruler?” Yun Che said with lamentation in his voice. The image of Cang Yue immediately appeared in his mind and it warmed his heart. He said to himself: Thank goodness I healed that disease of my royal Father-in-law so he can spawn a whole new nest of little princes. Because if there is a situation where he has no choice but to pass his position to Xueruo, then my princess wife will be in for a bad time… she’ll be tired to death.
“To these powerhouses who stand at the peak of the Illusory Demon Realm, women have always only been viewed as an accessory or even a toy for men. Thus, having to swear loyalty to a woman will indeed cause conflict to arise in their heart… But it should definitely not be a reason for them to betray the bloodline of the Demon Emperor! The greatest reason is actually their own greed! Duke Huai Palace had definitely peppered them with a copious amount of treats and enticements… but I just never expected that the two great families of Chiyou and Nangong would actually be aligned with Duke Huai! This is absolutely preposterous!”
Yun Che could hear a deep pain emanating from Yun Qinghong’s voice.
“What moves do you think Duke Huai will actually make during this grand ceremony?” Yun Che asked, “And why would he choose this particular occasion?”
“Because this is where all the heroes of the realm are gathered.” Yun Qinghong said as his brows sank, “All the various district rulers, lords of the big cities in the Illusory Demon Realm, hegemons and the leaders of all the main races… and even the leading figures hailing from the every field of mercantilism, medicine, and craftsmanship were invited as well! Almost every single person among the one hundred thousand who are within this great hall is an individual who has a great deal of influence over a place, profession, or even over the entire Illusory Demon Realm. It could be said that the seventy billion citizens of the Illusory Demon Realm are completely represented by the one hundred thousand people present! When today’s grand ceremony ends, these people will go back to their respective territories and they will disseminate all that has happened here today to every nook and cranny of the Illusory Demon Realm.”
Once Yun Qinghong had finished speaking, Yun Che immediately understood what was going on. “So that is to say that this time, Duke Huai wants the people to know that the Little Demon Empress no longer holds the highest power and prestige in the realm, that the strength he possesses now is more than enough to suppress her? After which, he will force the Little Demon Empress to abdicate in front of everyone here?”
“No, you have only gotten one part of it correct.” Yun Qinghong shook his head as he replied, “He definitely wants to borrow this occasion to fulfill his meticulous and methodical plans, but he definitely won’t use that method. Because that method will produce a result that is contrary to what he desires.”
“It would produce the opposite of his desired result?” Yun Che asked in shock.
Yun Qinghong’s eyes grew distant and he slowly began to recount, “Ten thousand years ago, the Illusory Demon Realm was a sea of chaos. The human and demon races were locked in battle and the fire of war had spread to the four corners of the realm; this left the people in dire straits. But after that, the Demon Emperor Clan inherited the legacy of the Golden Crow and received a great power. Henceforth, they led the Twelve Families and began a campaign that lasted several hundred years before they finally conquered the Illusory Demon Realm. Under the brilliant leadership of the Demon Emperor, both the human and demon races stopped fighting. After that, he gradually began to eliminate the conflict between the races and brought peace to the realm; this has persisted to this day. And the primordial divine beast, the Golden Crow, became something that the people of the Illusory Demon Realm have put their utmost faith in for the last ten thousand years. As such the Demon Emperor became a figure that has been loved and revered by the citizens of the Illusory Demon Realm through the generations.”
“If Duke Huai forces the Little Demon Empress to abdicate so he can take her place, then there would be rejoicing throughout the land only if the Demon Emperor bloodline had always led the people to calamity and caused them to undergo unspeakable hardships. But it just so happens that it is the opposite of that scenario, so if Duke Huai truly did that, all he would invite would be the wrath, rebellion, and rebuke of the people of the Illusory Demon Realm! Even if the power that Duke Huai holds is one thousand times what he has right now, how could he afford to provoke the burning wrath of the seventy billion citizens of the Illusory Demon Realm? This is the main reason Duke Huai is has never dared to make any hasty moves.”
“Ah, so this’s how it is.” Yun Che said as he lapsed into a momentary daze, “So what action will Duke Huai actually take?”
“He will definitely create a reason that is sufficiently adequate, a reason that will cause all the people to be convinced during this grand ceremony.” Yun Qinghong said with a grave expression, “The Little Demon Empress has always been very clear about Duke Huai’s disloyalty but she has never taken any actions against him because she does not want to give him something that he can use, like saying ‘her nature is brutal and vicious and that she harmed other members of the royalty for no rhyme or reason’. So during today’s events, the reason that he will concoct will be fairly simple… for example, he will implicate the Little Demon Empress in a few rumors that would cause all the people to rise up in fury, scandals that he himself has created, of course! And they will be the most vicious and evil of rumors possible… Such as promiscuity, harming her loyal citizens and even feasting on the innards of children.”
Yun Che’s eyebrows slanted fiercely and he said in a low voice, “And if these kinds of rumors were to be shouted out by a single person, no one would pay any attention… but if half of the Guardian Families and half of the royalty support these rumors and join their voices to rebuke the Little Demon Empress, then all these people who have arrived from all over the Illusory Demon Realm won’t have a reason to doubt such lies! Furthermore, the public opinion will be manipulated in such a way that it will create universal fury throughout the lands. Thus, the Little Demon Empress’ reputation would be completely swept away and she would even become a villain in the eyes of the public… Once that happens, it would only be logical that Duke Huai succeeds the position, and it will even be done with the full support of the people!”
“That’s right!” Yun Qinghong said as he nodded his head with a heavy expression. Because once he noticed the strange seating arrangements, he immediately saw through all of Duke Huai’s thoughts.
“So does Father have a plan to help the Little Demon Empress avert this calamity?” Yun Che asked in a serious voice.
Yun Qinghong lapsed into a momentary silence, and then slowly said, “The plan is actually fairly simple, but now that seven Guardian Families and the majority the royalty have sided with Duke Huai, it will be even harder to realize it, nearly impossible in fact.”
“What is the plan?” Yun Che asked swiftly.
“The plan is that we incline the hearts of the heroes gathered towards the Little Demon Empress before Duke Huai can begin his scheme, so as to not allow his people to voice out the accusations they had already prepared…”
As Yun Qinghong finished speaking, he gave a long exhalation and he shut his eyes. It was clear that he was bitterly pondering how he should face and deal with the coming scenario.
Yun Che silently considered Yun Qinghong’s words and he was also drawn into deep thought. After a while, he suddenly opened his mouth and said, “Father, once the grand ceremony starts, no matter what I do, I hope that Father does not stop me.”
Yun Qinghong opened his eyes and gazed at him deeply. But he did not ask what he was going to do exactly, instead he simply nodded his head silently. And in the midst of those eyes which were as deep as the sea, laid the trust that a father had in his son, a trust that needed no reasons.
“The—— Little—— Demon—— Empress—— Has—— Arrived!!”
At that moment, a reverberating, earsplitting voice filled the Demon Imperial Hall and the originally noisy grand hall immediately fell into a hush. It was so quiet that one could hear the sound of pin dropping. Every single person raised their head to the skies and gazed at the sky above the grand hall.
Chapter 540 - She’s the Little Demon Empress?!
The sky above the hall was suddenly wreathed in the light of flames as a gigantic three-legged Golden Crow appeared amidst the fiery sky. Its wings were spread wide and it let out a long cry which tore through the air. After this, the three-legged Golden Crow descended from the flames and as it descended, it left a long scarlet curtain of fire in its wake. The fire curtain descended from the top of the hall all the way to where the Emperor’s throne was. Once the three-legged Golden Crow touched the ground, it disappeared. Behind the curtain of fire, a blurry figure could vaguely be seen seated on that throne.
Everyone within the great hall uniformly rose from their seats; Yun Che was also pulled up by Yun Qinghong. After which, everyone present knelt on the ground.
“We respectfully welcome the Little Demon Empress!!”
Every single person who had to privilege to be invited to the Demon Imperial Hall were undoubtedly the strongest of the strong. The sound of one hundred thousand overlaying voices rising in reverence produced such a vastly powerful sound that it caused the ears of the weaker profound practitioners to reverberate, while also causing their internal organs to churn. And if this was just some normal hall, the power of these voices could cause it to vibrate until it collapsed.
“Everyone, you may rise.” A severe voice rang out from behind the curtain of flames.
Everyone returned to their seats and when Yun Che returned to his seat, a look of suspicion crossed his face: This voice… why does it seem so familiar to me? I’ve clearly never seen the Little Demon Empress before.
Following the descent of the Little Demon Empress, the hall became so quiet that one could hear a pin drop; a heavy atmosphere seemed to envelope every corner of the hall. At this time, the figures of two tall women slowly surfaced from behind the curtain of flame. The two women had features that were both pretty and solemn; one of them was human while the other was a demon, and both exuded the powerful aura of the Tyrant Profound Realm. They extended their hands at the same time and took hold of the fire curtain. After which, they slowly pulled the burning curtain of flames to the left and the right, revealing the figure of the Little Demon Empress.
Yun Che had always held a deep curiosity regarding just what kind of person the Little Demon Empress was. So after the curtain of flames had been parted, he steadily stared at the figure which was seated on the throne. Her appearance was exactly as Xiao Yun had described, she was wearing grey clothing and she was not adorned in the imperial splendor expected of a ruler. Moreover, her figure seemed exceptionally tiny, and at first glance, she seemed to have the body of a little girl, but once he could see her features clearly…
Yun Che’s eyes widened instantly and his body swiftly withdrew to the back as he placed his body behind Yun Qinghong.
“Eh, Big Brother, what’s up with you?” Xiao Yun hurriedly asked as he noticed Yun Che’s sudden strangeness.
“She… She… She… She’s the Little Demon Empress?!” Yun Che stammered as his tongue tied itself into a knot, as his teeth started chattering.
“That’s right.” Xiao Yun automatically replied as he nodded his head, “Big Brother, you seem to be really strange right now… Could it be that you’ve already seen the Little Demon Empress before?”
“But… Didn’t you tell me that the Little Demon Empress looked terrifying and that her face was fierce and forbidding?! This Little Demon Empress looks completely different from the way you described her!” If this place was not the venue of the grand ceremony, Yun Che would’ve roared at Xiao Yun until saliva sprayed his face.
The Little Demon Empress was swathed in grey clothes, but underneath all of that loose grey cloth lay an exquisite and delicate body. Both her eyes were as gloomy as the night sky and they emitted a coldness that seemed like icy knives. However, her features were exquisite and beautiful, and they seemed to be carved from snow and ice.
This was clearly the grey-robed little girl whom he had seen outside Demon Imperial City three nights ago. She was also the person who had nearly killed him!!
That little girl… was actually the Little Demon Empress!
That she was the Little Demon Empress was nothing much… What was more important was that on that night, in her ignorance, she showed her naked body to Yun Che… and Yun Che had observed every single part of her body; he had even continued to look for fifteen minutes…
And the most important thing was that after he got caught by her, even his face was recorded in her memory!
Is this some kind of cruel and unusual joke the heavens are playing on me?!
Yun Xiao had an innocent expression on his face, “I did say that the Little Demon Empress was very scary, oh… I also recall telling you that I didn’t dare to look directly at her face. What I really meant was that the Little Demon Empress’ aura, gaze and temperament was extremely terrifying. Every time I saw her, my heart would start beating wildly and a chill would run down my spine. But I never said that the Little Demon Empress’ features were scary. After all, everyone recognizes her as the number one beauty in the Illusory Demon Realm.”
“~!@#…” Yun Che suddenly had the urge to throttle Xiao Yun to death, ”That last sentence… Such an important piece of information, why didn’t you tell me that day?!”
Xiao Yun’s neck contracted and his expression grew even more innocent, “You… You didn’t ask me what the Little Demon Empress looked like, Moreover… I felt that this information was not really that important at all.”
Yun Che smacked his forehead as he choked on his words silently.
But now that he thought back to that day, when Xiao Yun called the Little Demon Empress ‘terrifying’ and ‘scary’, he was referring to the feeling she gave off, and he definitely did not say that her features were scary. But the way he described it made it very easy for one to think of a sinister, fierce and forbidding face that people would not dare to look at. Furthermore, since she was even older than his father Yun Qinghong, she should definitely be a middle-aged lady…
So with the description provided by Xiao Yun, he definitely would not be able to connect the Little Demon Empress to a little girl who did not look a day over fifteen!
And even though she was also dressed all in grey, it did not tell you anything, because it was far too normal for those who worshipped the Little Demon Empress to imitate her style of dressing… And even though she used the Golden Crow’s flames… all of the Illusory Demon Royal Family could also use the flames of the Golden Crow…
Right now, Yun Che was tangled into a complete mess… this scenario was simply too stimulating.
Before this, he was calmly thinking of how he and his father could solve the crisis that the Little Demon Empress would encounter during this grand ceremony, but now… the one who faced the greatest danger was actually himself!
Whether he could walk out of this place alive today was totally an unknown quantity right now.
He had actually seen the stately Little Demon Empress naked… this kind of charge perhaps could not be cleared even if he had his head chopped off ten thousands times. After all, this was the Little Demon Empress who had been officially wed to the Little Demon Emperor as it was witnessed by all; this was the ruler of the entire Illusory Demon Realm.
Yun Qinghong shot a glance at Yun Che. His face was filled with suspicion, but just as he was about to ask, the Little Demon Empress slowly rose from her throne.
“From the time this empress had succeeded her husband’s position, in the blink of an eye, it has already been one hundred years. In these hundred years, even though I have been unable to make any great contributions to our people, at the same time, I have also have not led our people into chaos and disaster. So it could be said that I have acquitted myself adequately in this task that my royal father and husband has entrusted to me.”
“The Hundred Year Reign Ceremony is normally an occasion of great celebration, but this time it is different. This empress has reigned for one hundred years, and it has been one hundred years since my royal father and husband have passed away. Even though one hundred years have passed, I have not yet been able to avenge my royal father, nor husband! Under this hatred and enmity, what is joy is there? What is worth celebrating?”
“Thus, during this grand ceremony, there will be no singing and dancing, no praise and acclamation, and no one will be allowed to present tribute. Today we will only speak of the events that have happened over my hundred year reign and of our plans for next hundred years.”
If one observed the features of the Little Demon Empress, one would discover that she was so beautiful, even the sun and the moon paled in comparison. But accompanying those beautiful features was a heavy oppressive aura which could overturn both heaven and earth… Even if she was a ruler, this kind of oppressive aura was simply too heavy. It was so heavy that it was sufficient to cause a powerhouse of the profound world to have difficulty breathing when they faced her.
This kind of oppression, which was terrifying enough to cause one’s heart to palpitate, was completely enough to cover up her breathtaking looks.
She stood in front of the throne, coldly surveying the one hundred thousand experts of the Illusory Demon Realm gathered here, and began to slowly speak. Every word that proceeded from her mouth was ear-splitting to the point where one might go deaf; each word contained the power to completely shake one’s heart and soul. Every large force in the hall did not only have great strength, they also held key responsibilities within the Illusory Demon Realm, but every single one of them bent their heads and silently listened; no one dared to raise their head to look directly at her, and not a single disrespectful movement was made.
A girl who only looked like she was fifteen at most… and she was even recognized as the number one beauty in the Illusory Demon Realm… Yet she was the ruler of the billions of citizens within the Illusory Demon Realm!!
For the Yun Che who had ‘seen’ the Little Demon Empress for ‘the first time’, the impact it had on his spirit and eyes was undoubtedly extremely big.
The Little Demon Empress raised her right arm and her broad grey sleeve hung down to expose her snowy and tender palm, while also revealing a part of her white jade arm. The maid who was standing to her right slowly stepped forward, bending her head as she presented a small scarlet wine cup.
The Little Demon Empress slowly picked up the wine cup, and the audience hurriedly scrambled to pick up the wine cups that were prepared for them. Once they had done so, they held the wine cup in clasped hands and held them out towards the Little Demon Empress.
“Today’s grand ceremony will begin with this cup of wine!” The Little Demon Empress raised her hand to the sky and she wore an expression of such majesty on her young and girlish face that no one could despise her.
“This cup, is to first salute our Illusory Demon Realm!”
“To secondly salute all the ancestors of the line of the Demon Emperor!”
“And to thirdly salute all of you who are gathered here today! All of you are the cornerstones, pillars and walls of my Illusory Demon Realm and for the past one hundred years, this empress has completely relied on your strength to assist me… This empress will make the first toast to show my respect!”
As the Little Demon Empress’ voice fell, she had already raised her head high to drink the wine in her cup.
“Thank you, Little Demon Empress!”
All the people gathered were terrified without exception, and they hastily drank the wine in their cups in panic, not daring to leave even a single drop. There were some who were so excited that their hands began to shake, because in the Hundred Year Reign Ceremony, it has always been them who toasted the Demon Emperor first. But this time, it was the Little Demon Empress who made the first toast, and this naturally filled them with extreme terror.
The Little Demon Empress set down her wine cup and surveyed the people once more. Those eyes which were already filled with a heavy aura of death suddenly released a bone-piercing coldness. She asked in a bland voice, “Who was it that planned today’s seating arrangements?”
Everyone in the great hall immediately held their breaths; those who were not in the know looked at each other helplessly while the faces of those who dwelt in the Demon Imperial City suddenly changed… The seating arrangements of the Twelve Families had been constant for ten thousand years, and everyone did not doubt that the Little Demon Empress could tell the problem of this grand ceremony’s seating arrangements with one glance. But no one had guessed that a mere second after she had toasted all the heroes and important ministers of the land, she would, in front of all who were present, suddenly inquire regarding this matter in the middle of this grand ceremony.
This turnaround was so quick that it left everyone helpless and at a loss.
Chapter 541 - A Gaze That Could Kill
“Oh…” Yun Che stretched his neck, even he did not expect the Little Demon Empress to suddenly make such an ill-timed action.
The great hall descended into a dead silence for a few breaths, after which, a man slowly stood up from among the seats in the east wing; it was Duke Huai himself. He bowed in salute and said, “Reporting to the Little Demon Empress, it was this humble duke who arranged the seats.”
“Hmph!” The Little Demon Empress raised her eyebrows and coldly said, “It has already been ten thousand years from the time the Twelve Families followed the First Demon Emperor to conquer the realm till today, and in these ten thousand years, the seating arrangement during a Demon Emperor’s grand ceremony has never changed. So why did you change the seats of the Twelve Families? You’d better give this empress a satisfactory explanation!”
This time, he had arranged the seats to give the Little Demon Empress a show of his strength, to let her know that the power that should have belonged solely to the line of the Demon Emperor has now largely shifted towards him. But little did he expect that she would suddenly spring this difficult question on him during the grand ceremony. He replied in an unperturbed manner, “Reporting to the Little Demon Empress, this humble duke participated in the arrangement of this grand ceremony, so I did not dare be careless. I had first asked the various Patriarchs and Dukes on where they would prefer to be seated, but I did not think that the majority of them wanted to sit in the east wing, so this humble duke independently decided to change the seating arrangements of the Twelve Families and the various Duke Palaces. I hope that the Little Demon Empress will forgive me.”
The words that had just been uttered by Duke Huai did not mean much to the people who came from outside the Demon Imperial City. At most, they would only find it strange that Duke Huai would ask the various families where they wanted to sit when he was organizing this grand ceremony. But the powers within the Demon Imperial City naturally understood exactly what he was saying… That the so-called ‘majority that wanted to sit in the east wing was clearly “the majority who were willing to swear their allegiance to Duke Huai”!
“Independently decided?” The Little Demon Empress narrowed her eyes slightly and even this slight change in expression caused the atmosphere within the entire great hall to abruptly turn cold, “And who gave you this power to make such a decision? The Twelve Families and the Duke Palaces are supposed to be placed on equal footing, and the only one who has the power to change the seats of the Twelve Families and the Duke Palaces, is only this empress! When was it up to you to arrange the positions of the Twelve Families?! In the next grand ceremony, do you also want to change the seat of this empress as well?!”
“This humble duke does not dare!” Duke Huai hurriedly bowed and lowered his head, his face was filled with anxiety and panic as he secretly ground his teeth together… With all the heroes of the realm as witness, he naturally could not retort even if he received such a harsh rebuke from the Little Demon Empress; he could only earnestly endure it.
The Little Demon Empress’ gaze swiveled and she looked in the direction of the various Guardian Families and Duke Palaces seated in the east wing. Her tender lips curled up and she slowly punctuated each and every word in an extremely bland voice, “All of you… like… to sit in the east wing?”
The east wing held seven of the great Guardian Families and sixty Duke Palaces, but under the concentrated gaze of the Little Demon Empress, every single one of them felt their hearts tighten up in anxiety as their hands turned cold and clammy. It felt as if an icy-cold blade had been placed at their throats. This feeling was exacerbated by the fact they all had harbored ulterior motives in their heart. Forget about talking, none of them even dared to raise their heads. Every single one of them held their breaths and did not even dare to gasp for air.
And even Yun Che, who was seated in the west wing, could feel an incomparably heavy aura of oppression. He couldn’t help but be silently amazed… This Little Demon Empress’ aura was simply too terrifying, but then again, it was not surprising… One hundred years ago, she first lost her father and then lost the husband she had married not too long ago… who was also her younger brother. As the last person who bore the bloodline of the Demon Emperor, she had no choice but to bear this heavy burden… and despite that, all these years, certain people had been trying to snatch away the ten thousand year legacy of her ancestors…
“To be filled with hatred against both heaven and earth” was not even enough to describe the feelings she held in her heart and soul.
Moreover, she was simply too tiny and delicate, while her features were the crown of the mortal world. So if she did not have a sufficiently imposing aura, how could she then rule over all the heroes of the realm?
The great hall was filled with a deathly stillness as the seven Guardian Families and sixty Duke Palaces didn’t dare to reply. They had only thrown in with Duke Huai because they witnessed his strength growing stronger as the days passed, and if they didn’t make such a choice, when the Little Demon Empress was forced to abdicate, even if they were not destroyed, they would definitely not be well off. So even if they were now inclined towards Duke Huai, it definitely did not mean that they did not fear the Little Demon Empress.
“Patriarch Helian, why don’t you answer this empress’ question? Why did you choose to sit in the east wing?”
As the Patriarch of the Helian Family, Helian Kuang had enough power and status to lord over the entire Illusory Demon Realm and his name fit his disposition as he was famous for being fearlessly domineering and arrogant. But once his name was abruptly spoken by the Little Demon Empress, the entire Helian Family felt their bodies fiercely quiver. He stood up and clasped his hands. But as he was about to speak, his gaze suddenly met with the gloomy and chilly gaze of the Little Demon Empress and his heart immediately froze in his chest as he felt a chill run through his entire body. His mouth flapped open quite a few times, yet he could not utter even a single word.
No one had expected the atmosphere to suddenly become frozen right as the grand ceremony began.
At this time, Yun Qinghong stood up and he spoke in a reverential tone, “I beseech the Little Demon Empress to calm her anger, this Yun has something to say.”
The Little Demon Empress was unfazed and she blandly said, “Speak.”
Yun Qinghong continued, “Yes… Today is the anniversary of the Little Demon Empress’ hundred year reign. This ceremony is witnessed by all under heaven and all the heroes of the realm have come from the length and breadth of the realm to celebrate this day with you. Even though the change in the seating arrangement is a little unseemly, but in the end, seats are merely seats. In the eyes of this Yun, it is not such a big deal. If the Little Demon Empress is not happy that Duke Huai has independently rearranged the seats, you can order him to change it back once the grand ceremony is over. There is simply no need to dampen the atmosphere over such a trivial matter.”
Yun Qinghong’s intention was partly to advise the Little Demon Empress to remain calm, and partly as hidden mockery. The Little Demon Empress faintly arched her brows, and after that, she slowly nodded her head, “Patriarch Yun is indeed correct, this sort of trivial matter is simply not worthy of this empress’ attention. Patriarch Yun, please be seated. Helian Kuang, you may also withdraw!”
One was asked to “please be seated”, the other was ordered to “withdraw”; one was addressed as “Patriarch Yun” while the other was directly addressed as “Helian Kuang”. It was so blindingly obvious who the Little Demon Empress favored more; even a fool could tell with a glance. The Helian Family had been suppressed by the Yun Family for ten thousand years but for the first time in history, they were the chief representatives. So not only were they unusually pleased with themselves, they also kept shooting taunting gazes over at the Yun Family to provoke them and show their dominance. But now, they had been slapped on the mouth by no less than the Little Demon Empress herself… and this was even done in front of all the heroes of the realm, as all their prestige went down the drain.
As for the Duke Huai who still stood there bowing, it was as if the Little Demon Empress had forgotten about his existence. She did not continue to bother with him and Duke Huai could only give a resentful laugh as he retook his seat.
Yun Che silently pondered to himself: The temperament of this Little Demon Empress was simply too unyielding and overbearing. Duke Huai tried to use the seating arrangements to give the Little Demon Empress a show of his strength but she borrowed this little display to slap him across the face… This woman, I definitely cannot afford to provoke her!
As Yun Che was lost in thought, he suddenly saw the Little Demon Empress’ gaze swivel in his direction. His heart was filled with shock and he hurriedly ducked his head as he prattled on inwardly like a broken record… Please do not see me… Please do not see me… Please do not see me…
The Little Demon Empress tacitly nodded at Yun Qinghong, but all of the sudden, her eyes flashed fiercely and they bored in on the person who stood by Yun Qinghong’s side.
The sudden change in the Little Demon Empress’ eyes startled Yun Qinghong, but he immediately realized that the person the Little Demon Empress was scrutinizing was not him, but it was Yun Che instead. Just as he was about to rise and take the initiative to ask, the Little Demon Empress opened her lips and asked, “Patriarch Yun, this Empress has heard that you have just taken in a godson, is it that person who is beside you?”
Yun Che: !@#$… As expected, I was still discovered!
Yun Qinghong stood up and replied, “Reporting to the Little Demon Empress, yes, it is as you say. My godson’s surname is also Yun, with the name Che, and he has a great affinity with this Yun’s family. Three month’s ago, he saved my unworthy son’s life and he even become sworn brothers with my unworthy son. So this Yun simply went with the flow and I took him in as a godson… Che’er, what are you waiting for? Rise and greet the Little Demon Empress.”
Yun Che put on a brave face and rose while plastering an extremely “honest” smile on his face, “Yun Family’s Yun Che… greets the Little Demon Empress.”
Even though Yun Che’s head was bent, he could still clearly feel a killing gaze piercing into his body, as if it wanted to directly pierce all his internal organs… Yun Che had never believed that a gaze could kill, but right now, the gaze of this Little Demon Empress could definitely cause a timid person’s courage to rupture, causing him to die on the spot.
Fortunately, this killing gaze only endured for an instant. Following that, the Little Demon Empress’ cold and lifeless voice rang through the air, and she only said three words, “You may sit.”
Yun Che’s bottom hit the chair and he silently breathed a sigh of relief.
Mu Yurou gently pulled on Yun Qinghong’s sleeve and whispered, “Our son, has he met the Little Demon Empress before?”
“I’m afraid that it’s a lot more than ‘met’ this time.” Yun Qinghong said with a bitter laugh.
“But, in this period of time, Che’er has hardly left the house. Moreover, the Little Demon Empress is also not a figure that normal people can meet, so how is that possible?” Mu Yurou said in a mystified voice.
Yun Qinghong lapsed into a momentary silence but after that, he slowly said, “Three days ago, in the dead of the night, I detected Che’er concealing his own presence. After he had circled around the Yun Family household, he left and headed north… And his presence concealment could be said to be perfect, if not for the fact that I occasionally saw a black shadow flitting about, even I would not be able to detect it. Not long after that, the aura of the Golden Crow’s flames exploded from somewhere north of the city and from the pureness of that aura, it could only be the Little Demon Empress. And it was only a short period after that incident that Che’er returned home… I didn’t think too much of it back then, but now that I think about it, something ‘big’ seems to have happened that night, and those Golden Crow flames might very well have been directly targeted at Che’er.”
“This….” Mu Yurou had a face full of astonishment.
The Little Demon Empress returned to her throne and her towering imperial majesty enveloped the entire Demon Imperial Hall, causing the air to be so stifled that it stopped moving, while each and every one of her words struck directly at everyone’s heart and soul.
After the Little Demon Empress had found out that he was not dead, and it had to be in this particular great hall, even though Yun Che had been through extraordinary experiences, he was still scared witless. Among all the people he had seen in his two lives, whether it was tyrannical power, an astonishing manner, or a cutting gaze, no one could compare with this person… Of course, this excluded the abnormal existence that was Jasmine. But if the Emperor of the Divine Phoenix Nation, Feng Hengkong, was compared with her, one could simply say that he would not even have a single speck of an emperor’s prestige or might in comparison.
The Little Demon Empress’ words reverberated in every corner of this great hall, but Yun Che did not continue to listen to what she said. Instead, he faintly shut his eyes and began to sincerely organize all of the findings regarding the history of the Twelve Families that he had gathered over this one month; and he began to ponder on how he should go about dealing with the coming scenario… Even though this Little Demon Empress had very nearly sent him on his way to the afterlife, he still had to repay this evil with kindness because he was a member of the Yun Family…
To think that there would actually come a day that I, Yun Che, would have to repay evil with kindness. Aghh!!!
“…Since this is so, let us start with the Northern Ocean Domain.” The Little Demon Empress’ gaze fell on someone who was seated in the back of the hall, “Is the ruler of the Northern Ocean Domain here?”
A tall and imposing man who was dressed fully in blue stood up, and he replied in an incomparably reverential and sincere voice, “Reporting to the Little Demon Empress, the Northern Ocean Domain is under this humble Kong Jingcang’s governance. The Northern Ocean Domain currently has a population of seventy three million people, and this population consists of ninety-one different races; humans comprise forty percent, while demons comprise sixty percent… Seventy four years ago, the Wild Wolf Clan rebelled and this rebellion was quelled in four years… Fifty three years ago, a natural disaster suddenly occurred as the Northern Sky Mountain erupted, and this calamity was only averted because the Little Demon Empress had sent enough people to help… Currently, the Northern Ocean Domain is at peace, with no disasters or rebellions…”
“…This humble one is the lord of the Profound Demon City, Feng Daosong. Profound Demon City and its surrounding regions have a total population of fifty-three million. The population consists of two hundred and twenty seven races. The core of our economy is still the professions of crafting profound formations and blacksmithing. Currently, my Profound Demon City has three of the ten greatest profound formation masters in the Illusory Demon Realm…”
“This humble one is the lord of the Five Way Domain, Lan Tengwu… For the past one hundred years, we have defended the border, not even letting down our guards for a single day, and we will definitely not allow the villains of the Profound Sky Continent to even take a step into our realm…”
………………
………………
The various lords began to declare the prominent events that had happened to their territories one after the other. In the center of the east wing, Duke Huai had a leisurely expression on his face, but his eyes betrayed his true unease. He kept looking in the direction of the Yun Family, and finally he crossed gazes with Yun Qinghong. Both of their eyes narrowed at the same time and Duke Huai gave a dull laugh… Yun Qinghong responded with a faint smile, but his smile carried an unmistakable clear disdain.
Duke Huai’s eyebrows furrowed fiercely.
Even though the two of them only had their eyes and expressions cross for that short span of time, they had issued what could be said to be an “ultimatum” to each other. Duke Huai was asking: Have you thought things through yet, and decided to stand with this duke? This is your, and the Yun Family’s, final chance.
But Yun Qinghong’s reply was only a short two words:
Haha.
Chapter 542 - Conflict Begins
Duke Zhong, who was beside Duke Huai, saw his facial expression change, smiled lightly and said, “I can see that you are truly being cautious about Yun Qinghong, and frankly, I can’t really understand it.”
“This duke will not deny it.” Duke Huai said with a stony expression, “This duke was most at ease during the years he was crippled. But when he healed without any warning, it was like a needle pierced through this duke’s heart… This duke felt that Yun Qinghong sees through what this duke has prepared to do at this Grand Ceremony, and when that moment comes, he would certainly take action.”
“If you fear Yun Qinghong that much, you must know his temper very well. Then, according to your understanding of him, do you think it’s possible for him to fall on our side?” Duke Zhong asked gradually.
Duke Huai’s breathing stuttered, then, he shook his head. “Impossible.”
“If we already know that it’s impossible, then why waste our emotions and hold on to this non-existent chance to try and rope him in?”
Duke Huai didn’t say a word.
“If Duke Huai is really afraid of Yun Qinghong ruining the plan, there is a simple way to take care of the problem.” Duke Zhong said with a sneer, “We could make it so he wouldn’t even be qualified to speak later, wouldn’t that solve the problem?”
The moment Duke Zhong said this, Duke Huai instantly knew what he wanted to do. After a brief silence, he gradually nodded his head.
Duke Zhong smiled, glanced sideways, slightly moved his lips, and sent a profound energy sound conversion to a person sitting on the edge of the seats, and signaled the person.
Yun Che wasn’t interested in the things the lords had to report. After thinking for a long time, he suddenly asked Yun Qinghong, “Father, the people who joined together to provoke the public’s opinion and pressured the Little Demon Empress to punish our Yun Family, were the seven Guardian Families across us, right?”
Yun Qinghong didn’t say a word, and nodded slowly.
Yun Che locked his eyebrows and said, “At the Hundred Year Reign Ceremony, the Guardian Families and each major Duke Palace would perform on stage, there’s even a tradition of a sparring competition, and there would be no exception this time. If I’m not wrong, the dukes across us would definitely find an opportunity to bring this up, and the method of the sparring competition would very likely be the East Wing against the West Wing.”
“That’s what Duke Huai would do,” Yun Qinghong said calmly. “With the Little Demon Empress who could take a great setback, and us who refuse to join his faction, how could he not? Or else, he wouldn’t have deliberately arranged the seats like this.”
“It all comes down to what reason he uses.”
Two hours had passed calmly at the Grand Ceremony. This Grand Ceremony, according to the original plan, would continue for at least three days and three nights. This was just the beginning.
At this moment, King Zhennan, who was stationed in the southern border, had just finished reporting what had happened over the hundred years. As soon as he got down, in the corner of the seats on the East, a young duke whose position was basically on the bottom rung suddenly stood up.
The Little Demon Empress glanced at him, and said faintly, “Duke Chu, is there something you would like to report?”
“Yes!” The person who was called ‘Duke Chu’ quickly moved to the front of the seats. When he spoke, his voice was obviously trembling. “There is an issue that has been bothering this humble duke for a long time. But this is an important issue, and it could possibly upset some of the superior figures here, so I don’t know whether or not I should bring it to light.”
The Little Demon Empress’ dark eyes narrowed, and she said coldly, “If you don’t know whether or not you should speak, then don’t speak. Step down!”
“…” It was as if Duke Chu’s throat was suddenly stabbed with a knife. He prepared for so long, but he couldn’t utter the words that were on the tip of his tongue, and his face was bloated until it was all red… when he said he didn’t know whether or not he should bring it to light, it was only something he said to slow down and foreshadow his next words, but he didn’t expect the Little Demon Empress to shoot him down with just one sentence before having the chance to continue to say it.
His face twitched as he responded ‘yes,’ and stepped down awkwardly.
“This idiot!” In the center of the east wing, Duke Huai scoffed.
At this moment, a person who was not far on the right from where Duke Chu was sitting stood up. From his appearance, he was one of the dukes as well. He cupped his hands, and said in a loud voice, “Reporting to Little Demon Empress, this humble duke has something to say! This issue had been on this humble duke’s mind for a long time. If it were said out loud, it might also upset some of the superior figures or even induce hatred. But this is an issue related to the Illusory Demon Royal Family’s reputation, and even the future of the Illusory Demon Realm. Even if people hold grudges against this humble duke, I have to say it no matter what.”
“Oh, is that so?” The eyes of the Little Demon Empress were like stars dotted in the night sky. “Then this empress shall listen to what Duke Xiang has to say, and see exactly how serious this issue is!”
Duke Xiang slightly gnashed his teeth, and said with a serious expression, “This humble duke earnestly requests Little Demon Empress to remove the Yun Family from the Twelve Guardian Families, and replace them with a force that has the ability and the qualification!”
“WAHH——”
The entire hall immediately went into an uproar with what Duke Xiang had said. No one had thought that the ‘serious issue’ Duke Xiang was going to address would be this shocking!
The Twelve Guardian Families were the twelve families who followed the First Demon Emperor and ruled the Illusory Demon Realm. Their existences were supreme like a sacred ground, and they were on the top of the Illusory Demon Realm. The Yun Family, in the past ten thousand years, had been the head of the twelve families, and had always been most valued by the Demon Emperor’s Clan. They had only been rapidly declining in the last century because of the Profound Sky Continent incident… Even though this Duke Xiang was also a duke, his position was low in the Royal Clan. Their Duke Palace’s force was not enough to compare with any of the twelve families. Now, in the presence of the Little Demon Empress, the Twelve Families, and all those under heaven, he unexpectedly asked the Yun Family to step down from the Twelve Guardian Families!
This was simply like dropping a clap of thunder from the sky.
The Little Demon Empress suddenly narrowed her eyes, and the top and bottom of the Yun Family were all furious. Yun Qinghong didn’t have much of a reaction, but not everyone was as calm as Yun Qinghong. Great Elder Yun Waitian suddenly stood up, not even caring that this was the Grand Ceremony, and cursed out loud, “You bold maniac, who do you think you are, how dare you speak of such nonsense!”
That Duke Xiang was surprisingly calm as he said softly, “Great Elder Yun, please watch your manners. Don’t let the world know that the Yun Family’s manners are like this.”
Yun Waitian sneered, “My manners are only for people who deserve it. An ungrateful dog who abandons its ancestors for profit and obey to someone else’s orders doesn’t deserve my manners.”
Yun Waitian’s words were so vicious that they made Duke Xiang’s calm face suddenly turn into the color of pig liver, as his lips trembled with rage, “Yun Waitian… you… you… you have gone too far!”
“You were the one who went too far!”
“Enough, the two of you, don’t go into a war of words.” Duke Huai stood up at this moment. The Yun, Mu, Under Heaven, Yan, and Su Family had already been suspicious of the shocking words this Duke Xiang suddenly stood up and said, thinking that it must be an order from Duke Huai. Now that he had stood up, it made it even more unmistakable.
Duke Huai didn’t wait for the Little Demon Empress to speak first, and said while smiling, “Duke Xiang, the Yun Family had been part of the Twelve Guardian Families for all previous generations of Demon Emperors, for ten thousand of years. They could be said to have had many contributions, but you suddenly report to ask the Little Demon Empress to have the Yun Family be removed from the Guardian Families. You should at least give us a reason for it.”
Duke Xiang quickly said, “If this humble duke doesn’t have a sufficient reason, how would I dare to say something about an issue so serious. And removing the Yun Family from the Twelve Guardian Families is not something that was thought of only by this humble duke. Of the people this humble duke knows, eight or nine out of ten agree! The reasons are naturally sufficient, and each and every one of them is known by all.”
Duke Huai stood up with his hands on his waist. It emboldened this Duke Xiang’s confidence, as he said with composure, “As the Demon Emperor’s Twelve Guardian Families, a strong ability is the basic requirement! At least, they should have an unbeatable late stage Monarch! Back in the days, the Yun Family had the most late stage Monarchs among the Twelve Guardian Families, and none of the families could compete with them. But, a hundred years ago, Yun Family’s eleven late stage Monarchs all died in the Profound Sky Continent! The Yun Family now doesn’t even have a late stage Monarch! The strongest of the whole family, Grand Elder Yun Jiang, is only at the sixth level of the Sovereign Profound Realm.”
“The whole world knows, having a late stage Monarch was the symbol of the highest force in the Illusory Demon Realm, but the Yun Family doesn’t have one anymore! A Yun Family like this doesn’t even count as a top force, so how could it be qualified to be one of the Twelve Guardian Families directly under the Little Demon Empress? How could they have the ability to guard the Demon Emperor’s bloodline?”
“Poor remark.” Duke Huai shook his head. “A hundred years ago, the Yun Family faced incredible difficulties. These were the consequences caused the impulse of Yun Canghai. Even if the Yun Family doesn’t have a late stage Monarch now, with Yun Family’s background, and given enough time, there might be one in the future.”
“No! That’s impossible!” Duke Xiang shook his head assuredly, “What decides a family’s future is the ability of the young generation! But, in Demon Imperial City, who doesn’t know how weak the Yun Family’s young generations are! Of those under the age of thirty, less than five are Overlords, and the highest power they have now is at the second level of the Tyrant Profound Realm… Oh, I heard that there was a Yun Xinyue who was passable, but unfortunately, he had already passed away.”
“With a Yun Family like this, what kind of future do they still have? What qualifications do they have to hold on to the title of Guardians? If a family like this can guard the Demon Emperor, wouldn’t it be a disgrace to the Demon Emperor’s bloodline, and be laughed at by the whole world?!”
“Shut up!!” It was as if Yun Waitian’s heart was stabbed when the name “Yun Xinyue” was brought up. He trembled in anger, “The reason the young generation of Yun Family are weak, was because we were plotted against, and were forced to endure the heavy liability. Or else, with the background of the Yun Family, and the power of Profound Handle of the Yun Family, we would never be weaker than anyone!”
Duke Xiang sneered, “Great Elder Yun’s words has just reminded this duke. That’s right, Great Elder Yun’s words is the second reason! And that’s the Yun Family’s misdeed!”
Duke Xiang pointed at where the Yun Family was sitting, and yelled loudly, “The Little Demon Empress has been on the throne for a full hundred years, but still wasn’t able to inherit the Golden Crow in Golden Crow Lightning Flame Valley… and why is that so?! Could it be that your Yun Family don’t know why?!”
“You!!” Yun Waitian’s body shook violently; this was his Yun Family’s greatest weakness. Even though he was furious, he couldn’t say anything about it. Because a hundred years ago, the Demon Emperor’s Seal was lost because of the Yun Family, and the Mirror of Samsara was also lost because of the Yun Family… these were irrefutable facts.
“Your Yun Family lost the Demon Emperor’s Seal, preventing the Little Demon Empress from awakening the Golden Crow’s bloodline, to achieve the highest of powers… it was all thanks to you Yun Family! The Mirror of Samsara was a treasure passed down from the First Demon Emperor. The previous Demon Emperor trusted you Yun Family fully, and let the Yun Family guard it, but you lost it… and even lost it in Profound Sky Continent, the land of our sworn enemy! Not only should you be sorry to the previous Demon Emperor, sorry to the Little Demon Empress… you should be even more sorry to all of the ancestors of the Demon Emperor’s bloodline!”
“With low ability and such heinous crimes that arouses great indignation, the Little Demon Empress showed a lot of mercy by continuing to let you keep the title of Guardian Family for a full hundred years! But you Yun Family should ask yourselves, what capability, what qualifications, and what dignity do you have to remain on the position of Guardian!”
This Duke Xiang’s words were very sharp, and his tone was very furious and agitated; each sentence was straight to the point. The people in the crowd were all moved by what he was saying and were agreeing to it, it was no wonder that Duke Huai let him come forward.
Clap, clap, clap, clap…
A burst of applause sounded, Duke Zhong stood up while clapping, and said with a serious expression, “Duke Xiang, that was on point! The Yun Family is sinful, and their strength has weakened too much. These issues are well-known by everyone, but they are still staying as one of the Guardian Families. At first, this duke didn’t think much about it, but hearing what Duke Xiang had said, this duke felt enlightened by these facts. It’s true that with the Yun Family’s strength now, and the other sins that they’ve committed, they should not continue to carry on the responsibility of Guardian, or else, they really would disgrace and drag down the reputation of the Royal Family, and become a joke for everyone! Because of the Yun Family’s crime, it was too merciful for the Little Demon Empress to only cut off their hundred years resources. It wouldn’t be too much to kick them out of Demon Imperial City right this moment!”
Chapter 543 - Confrontation
“A load of rubbish!”
Old Man Mu stood up in rage, pointed towards Duke Zhong and Duke Xiang and roared, “The Yun Family has protected the Demon Emperor for ten thousand years and everyone knows their accomplishments are greater higher than the heavens! They are the most deserving to be the leading family of the Twelve Families! Even if they have faulted, it cannot hide the accomplishments that they have done for ten thousand years! You all know fully well the reason why the Yun Family’s strengths have diminished! As for the future of the Yun Family, you guys are even less worthy to criticize it! Instead, I want to ask, for what motive do you all have for ganging up together to force the Yun Family out of the Twelve Guardian Families?!”
Mu Feiyan was the eldest among the Twelve Patriarchs. Along with his loud voice and dense profound strength, he caused the ears of everyone in the great hall to buzz. Duke Zhong did not panic and merely laughed: “Senior Mu, please calm down. What sort of motive could this duke have? This duke is just a small duke within the Illusory Demon Royal Family, whose blood originates from the First Demon Emperor. Naturally, all this duke does is for the sake of the Demon Emperor’s bloodline. Even if this duke would invite hatred onto myself, for the sake of the Demon Emperor’s bloodline, this duke has no choice but to say it.”
“How righteous you sound.” The Su Family Patriarch, Su Xiangnan, stood up, then looked intently at Duke Huai and Duke Zhong, “Although my Su Family has also existed to protect the Demon Emperor for generations, based on qualifications and accomplishments, we are far below the Yun Family! If even the Yun Family has to be expelled from the ranks of the Guardian Families, then which family would deserve to stay?! Wouldn’t this be disheartening for all the people out there who are loyal to the Demon Emperor’s bloodline?!”
“What Patriarch Su said is completely wrong!” The Helian Family Patriarch, Helian Kuang, rose from his seat and loudly replied, “The fact that the Yun Family has vast accomplishments is something that cannot be denied, but they have also committed an unforgivable mistake that would cause all the Demon Emperor Ancestors unrest! The Yun Family’s vast achievements have led to them obtaining their deserved glory and rewards! So shouldn’t they receive their deserved punishment for the mistakes that they have done? If they’re still allowed to stay in the Guardian Families after such an unforgivable mistake, wouldn’t it be telling us, the other Guardian Families that we don’t have to worry about making mistakes, and can act as we please?! If it’s like this, how could the souls of the generations of Demon Emperors rest? Where would the justice of the legislation of Illusory Demons lie? This is what would be truly disheartening for the people!”
“I, Helian Kuang, represent the entire Helian Family to fully support Duke Xiang and Duke Zhong in kicking the Yun Family out of the Guardian Families!”
“We, the Jiufang Family, also fully support the removal of the Yun Family from the Guardian Families!”
“We, the Nangong Family, fully support as well!”
A large faction that supported kicking the Yun Family out of the Guardian Families rose in support. Just like a hurricane sweeping past this ocean, a large commotion was created… Naturally, this commotion came from the east wing seats. At the same, some people who weren’t too sure were influenced by what was said and started to feel that the Yun Family did not deserve to remain within the Guardian Families. They shouted along as well, and as the commotion became louder, more and more people were influenced along. In the blink of an eye, the Yun Family had become the target of the people, as the entire hall burst with shouts for the Yun Family’s removal from the Guardian Families.
The only ones who were completely clear about what happened were the top powers of Demon Imperial City, especially the Guardian Families and those of the Duke Palaces sitting in the west wing seats. As the jeers grew louder and louder, all of them trembled in rage… Duke Huai’s faction was already frightening, if the Yun Family were to be chased away, they would not have any power to resist them anymore.
“Looks like this is where the will of the people lie. Looks like the Yun Family is no longer suitable to continue guarding the Little Demon Empress.” Duke Huai laughed.
The Yan Family Patriarch, Yan Zijing, stood up agitatedly, and raged: “All of you who have ulterior motives, don’t waste your efforts! We, the Guardian Families, only serve the bloodline of the Demon Emperor! In this world, only the Little Demon Empress is able to command the Guardian Families and decide our fates! The Little Demon Empress naturally has an opinion on whether the Yun Family deserves to remain in the Guardian Families! Other than the Little Demon Empress, none of you have any right to decide!”
The Little Demon Empress’ expression sunk. Just as she was about to speak, Duke Huai spoke before she could, and said loudly: “Patriarch Yan’s words are indeed correct. As the ruler of the Illusory Demon Realm, the Little Demon Empress is naturally the highest authority! But, not only do we, the various dukes and the guardian families, have to serve her loyally, we also have the duty to remonstrate her, especially concerning major matters that involve the prestige and pride of the Demon Emperor bloodline! The mistake that the Yun Family made is undoubtedly a major one, yet the Little Demon Empress allowed the Yun Family to remain within the Guardian Families for the past hundred years, and only received small punishments. This is already great magnanimity that the Little Demon Empress has shown the Yun Family. However, if the Yun Family remained in the Guardian Families, it would be too soft-hearted of her… and how would such soft-heartedness be befitting of a ruler! A real ruler should be clear with rewards and punishment and even decisive when killing! Otherwise…”
“Otherwise what?” Even though the Little Demon Empress looked calm, her gaze was icy cold: “Looks like Duke Huai is more competent than this empress on how to be a ruler.”
“This humble duke does not dare.” Duke Huai replied calmly: “The Yun Family and my Duke Palace have no grudges; Patriarch Yun and this humble duke could even be considered to be friends. All that this humble duke has said does not benefit me other than causing the Yun Family Patriarch to be unhappy with this humble duke, or even hate this humble duke. However, this is something that this humble duke has to say… This humble duke is absolutely sincere, and all that this humble duke has done is for the Illusory Demon Royal Family! I beg Little Demon Empress to please consider!”
“This humble duke also begs Little Demon Empress to please consider!” Duke Zhong said in a righteous manner.
“Little Demon Empress, the Twelve Guardian Families definitely cannot lose the Yun Family, definitely cannot!” Su Xiangnan shouted out respectfully.
The arena was instantly chaotic, none of the rulers outside of the Demon Imperial City could have imagined that just one phrase from Duke Xiang would lead to such a huge commotion. At this point, the smarter ones were already able to see some things regarding the situation.
Then, an elderly duke who was from the late Demon Emperor’s generation stood up, and said: “Since this matter is looked so heavily upon by the various dukes and guardian families and has created such a conflict, it cannot be rashly decided. Otherwise, it would only be disheartening for the citizens. However, this old subject has a suggestion.”
The Little Demon Empress looked on coldly without speaking. Since the old man was sat at the east wing seats, he was obviously on the side of Duke Huai and would definitely not say anything that was beneficial to her. However, with so many people present, she obviously could not reprimand a thousand year old subject; she only inwardly sneered.
“Senior, please speak, I’m all open to ideas.” Duke Huai looked on respectfully.
The elderly duke sighed pretentiously, and said: “The various dukes and guardian families are the cornerstones of Illusory the Demon Realm. Other than the Little Demon Empress, the dukes and the guardian families do indeed have the most right to speak. It seems as though the decision of whether the Yun Family is qualified to remain in the Guardian Families only concerns the Yun Clan themselves, but in regards to such a major matter, it cannot be decided based on one person’s private wishes. Since it’s like this, why not let all the dukes and guardian families whose right to speak is only second to the Little Demon Empress help the Little Demon Empress decide. Since everyone is gathered here, we shall let them witness whether there are more people supporting the Yun Family to remain within the Guardian Families, or whether there are more who support their removal from the Guardian Families. Whichever side has more people, will be the side we shall abide by. Isn’t this the fairest way?!”
“Little Demon Empress, how is this old subject’s suggestion?”
What the old duke said was definitely reasonable, fair and without loopholes. Under such conditions, even if the Little Demon Empress’s temperament was much tougher, she would still not be able to retort against his words. On the other hand, Duke Huai was already nodding in agreement: “If the majority of the dukes and the guardian families who have been guarding the Demon Emperor along with the Yun Family also think that the Yun Family does not have any right to remain, yet they still remain, this duke would not be satisfied, the whole Illusory Demon Royal Family would not be satisfied, and even everyone in this world would not be satisfied!”
“This is indeed the fairest method and this duke would not have any complaints about the results obtained from such a method.” Duke Zhong also said loudly.
“Good!” Duke Huai raised a hand, righteous asking: “Alright! Then let this duke and everyone else clearly see whether the Yun Family has the right to remain… Various Illusory Demon Dukes, all the Patriarchs of the Guardian Families, those who agree with this duke that the Yun Family should be kicked out of the Guardian Families, please rise!”
Whoosh!!
Just when Duke Huai finished speaking, Helian Family’s Patriarch Helian Kuang, Chiyang Family’s Patriarch Chiyang Bailie, Bai Family’s Patriarch Bai Yi, Nangong Family’s Patriarch Nangong Zhi, Lin Family’s Patriarch Lin Guiyan, Jiufang Family’s Patriarch Jiufang Kui, Xiao Family’s Patriarch Xiao Xifeng and sixty various other Duke Palaces all stood up.
“The Yun Family has long lost the right to remain, they must be removed! I, Helian Kuang am the first to support this!”
“What Duke Huai has said is what I, Chiyang Bailie, has thought all these years!”
“If the Yun Family remains, my Bai Family would not be satisfied!”
Seven Guardian Families, Sixty Duke Palaces; in terms of numbers, this was sufficient to completely overwhelm the opposition. Within the shouts for the Yun Family to leave the Guardian Families, Duke Zhong broke into a slight smile, whispering to Duke Huai: “Now Duke Huai no longer has to worry about Yun Qinghong spoiling matters, right? Once they are kicked out of the Guardian Families, they won’t have any rights to speak at this ceremony.”
Duke Huai squinted, then suddenly laughed coldly: “Such a great occasion and atmosphere, it’s such a waste to only beat down a Yun Family.”
Duke Zhong eyes flashed: “Duke Huai, what do you mean?”
“Of course it is to use this opportunity to embarrass those fellows who still remain obstinate, making them unable to raise their heads and straighten their back during this Grand Ceremony. Also, we can let Little Demon Empress know just how easy it is for this duke to replace her, heh…”
“Looks Duke Huai is already well aware of what to do next. Hehe, as expected of Duke Huai, to be able to follow you is the smartest decision this duke has made.” Duke Zhong laughed heartily.
Without question, no matter if it was the Guardian Families or the Duke Palaces, those who stood up were all from the east wing seats. Old Man Mu laughed coldly and roared: “All those who oppose to the Yun Family leaving, stand up… Do you really think we’re all herbivores?!”
Old Man Mu’s words were deafening. Su Family’s Patriarch Su Xiangnan, Under Heaven Family’s Patriarch Greatest Ambition Under Heaven, Yan Family’s Patriarch Yan Chengkong and the forty Duke Palaces on the west wing seats all stood up neatly, each one of them with serious and angry expressions.
One side had seven Guardian Families and sixty Duke Palaces.
Excluding the Yun Family, the other side only had four Guardian Families and forty Duke Palaces.
It was obvious which side was stronger with just one glance.
What was even more obvious was that all the families that wanted the Yun Family to leave the Guardian Families were in the east wing seats.
And those who opposed the Yun Family leaving were all seated in the west wing seats.
Even a fool could tell that now there was something was odd about this with such an obvious confrontation.
This was obviously two entirely different factions!
This was not a fight over the leaving or staying of the Yun Family, but the confrontation between two factions that suddenly sprung up.
What was even more evident, was that Duke Huai’s faction, was far stronger than the faction the Yun Family resided in.
Chapter 544 - Sinister Motives
It was instantly a scene of chaos. For those who supported the Yun Family, or more accurately, the Guardian Families and Duke Palaces who were still loyal to the Little Demon Empress; they were weaker in number, but the difference in strength was not overwhelming. Furthermore, those who stood on the side of the Demon Emperor’s bloodline stood upright, and they seemed to be even stronger than those whose heart had ulterior motives.
The Yun Family, who was in the midst of all this chaos, remained calm. Especially Patriarch Yun Qinghong, who sat there the whole time without saying anything.
However, not saying anything did not mean he had not communicated with anyone. In the midst of the conflict between the two parties, he had already sent several profound energy sound transmissions to the Little Demon Empress.
“Little Demon Empress, please control your emotions. Now is definitely not the best time for you interfere… Also, you shouldn’t unyieldingly protect our Yun Family. Duke Huai’s faction is hoping for you to do so.”
“This matter, let my Yun Family completely handle it!”
The Little Demon Empress’s temper was something Yun Qinghong knew best… Back then, he was beaten up by the Little Demon Empress and had to lie in bed for a month to recuperate. Ever since she became the Little Demon Empress, her temper only worsened. With this situation and her temper, if it weren’t for Yun Qinghong sending a sound transmission to immediately to stop her, she would definitely have started killing already.
Just when Yun Qinghong thought of the best solution to handle the situation, and was about to stand up, Duke Huai suddenly laughed and said, “Everyone, please calm down. Regarding to whether or not the Yun Family should remain as one of the Guardian Families, it’s obvious that more people support removing the Yun Family from the Guardian Families.”
“So what if there’s more people!” Mu Yubai replied harshly, “Duke Huai, do you really think that by pulling enough people towards your side, you can hoodwink everyone? Heh, a bunch of ungrateful, unfilial people. Even if there were ten times more people, they’re all just a bunch of rubbish that everyone looks down upon!”
Mu Yubai’s words instantly restarted the commotion in the great hall, turning it into an uproar yet again. Mu Feiyan nudged him with his elbow and threw him a mean look. Mu Yubai scoffed,and looked away.
Duke Huai’s expression did not change, as he spoke in a leisurely manner, “Brother Mu’s words are something this duke does not understand. However, Brother Mu’s first sentence was indeed true, a greater number of people doesn’t mean anything. After all, in our Illusory Demon Realm, or any other world, what decides everything is not the number…but strength!”
“What are you trying to pull this time!” Yan Zijing asked in caution. They definitely would not naively believe that Duke Huai’s “a greater number of people doesn’t mean anything” was speaking up for them. He definitely had an even more sinister motive.
“What this duke means is simple. Solely based on the number of people, we have thirty percent more than your side! However, you all would definitely not be satisfied based on numbers alone and neither would the rulers who came from the other places. Therefore, this duke shall represent all those in favor of removing the Yun Family from the Guardian Families, and propose a method much fairer, and easier to convince you all… At the same time, treat this as an opportunity gifted to the Yun Family from this duke!”
“During all the previous Demon Emperor’s Hundred Year Reign Ceremonies, there has always been the tradition where the various Guardian Families and Duke Palaces would perform on stage, show off their skills, strengths and might. This is the Little Demon Empress’s first Hundred Year Reign Ceremony and it naturally cannot be excluded! So how about this…” Duke Huai raised his hands up, grinned as he snapped his fingers, “Each side select twelve people to compete. Of course, in the previous Reign Ceremony competitions, it has always been battles between the young generation. After all, the strength of the younger generation determines the position of a force for the next hundred years. There would be no exception this time! The range of the age for choosing would be those who are below the age of thirty five!”
“If we luckily managed to win in the end, then you guys wouldn’t have any more complaints, right?” Duke Huai asked with all smiles.
“Good! Duke Huai’s suggestion is great!” Duke Zhong praised.
“In terms of numbers, we have already won. But by competing with strengths, the results would be more convincing. I have no objections!” Helian Kuang agreed loudly.
Duke Huai’s suggestion made everyone seated in the east wing reveal a mocking smile, and darkened the expressions of the ones seated in the west wing.
They knew fully well that the west wing did not lose only in terms of numbers, but they also had a huge disadvantage in terms of “quality”.
The east wing contained seven of the Guardian Families. If each family sent their number one genius of the young generation, then seven representatives would be the top seven elites of Illusory Demon Realm’s young generation: Helian Family’s Helian Ba, Chiyang Family’s Chiyang Yanwu, Bai Family’s Bai Jie, Nangong Family’s Nangong Yan, Lin Family’s Lin Hanchuan, Jiufang Family’s Jiufang Yu, and Xiao Family’s Xiao Donglai… Every one of them were figures whose reputation resounded within the entire Illusory Demon Realm.
As for the west wing, the members of the young generation who were on the same level were only Su Family’s Su Zhizhan, Yan Family’s Yan Chengkong, Under Heaven Family’ Number Six Under Heaven, and Mu Family’s Mu Hengyi… Yun Family did not have any disciples of the young generation at that level; the only one, Yun Xinyue, had already died tragically.
Just based on strength alone, Su Zhizhan and Helian Ba were the joint strongest members of the young generation within the guardian families. He was also the only person who could stand his ground from the west wing seats. For the other three, Number Six Under Heaven was only in the fourth level of the Tyrant Profound Realm while Yan Chengkong and Mu Hengyi were in the third level of the Tyrant Profound Realm.
As for the other side, among the favored children of the seven families, the weakest was still a fourth level of the Tyrant Profound Realm!
This was even not the worst part.
In the east wing seats, there were five members of the “Illusory Demon Seven Scions” who signified the most pinnacle strength of the young generation within Illusory Demon Realm!
Adding them to the seven geniuses of the seven guardian families, there were twelve people!
This was also the reason why Duke Huai suggested for each side to select twelve participants.
In the west wing seats, there were only two members of the “Illusory Demon Seven Scions”.
And these two… were ranked sixth and seventh.
In the west wing, the various patriarchs and dukes all gnashed their teeth in anger. With such a disparity in strength, how could the west wing win! The only possible result was not just an ordinary defeat, but an overwhelming one! Even though Duke Huai denounced his advantage in terms of numbers and seemed as though he gave the Yun Family a “chance”, his true motive was to chase the Yun Family out, while, at the same time, mercilessly defeat the families and dukes that did not stand on his side in front of everybody present; an extremely vicious thought.
“As for the rules, although it would be different from the usual spars held in the past, it should be fairly simple.” While appreciating the faces of everyone from the west wing seats, Duke Huai continued in all smiles: “The two sides will fight one versus one and the loser is eliminated while the winner stays until he is defeated by his opponent. Therefore, the competition would naturally be decided when one side is completely defeated and the other still has people standing on stage. Not only would this be the fairest way to determine the victors, the differences in strength between the two parties can be easily seen. If both parties compete and only one person from each team remains on stage, then the strength of both parties would be similar. However, if one side is completely defeated and the other side still has numerous people who have not competed yet… Tsk, tsk, wouldn’t that be extremely embarrassing… Do you guys… dare accept?”
The moment Duke Huai suggested this rule, the faces of the people from the west wing seats darkened yet again, their hearts becoming bitter.
If it was one versus one, twelve people each battling only once with the other side for twelves matches in total, and the number of matches won was used to decide the winner, then if their strength were extremely luckily malpositioned, the west wing side would still have that tiny bit of hope to win, or tie.
However, even though Duke Huai was extremely confident that he would not lose, he still chose an elimination style competition, so it must be noted that Duke Huai was an extremely cautious person. Because such a method was indeed the fairest, and it also completely removed any hope of victory for the west wing seats. The difference in strength could also be clearly seen by the number of people who did not participate, and from there, completely humiliate the other party.
The faces of the patriarchs in the west wing were sullen and they gnashed their teeth in anger… This battle, definitely could not be accepted! Accepting it would be certain defeat and they would also be harshly disgraced!
Even though not accepting would result in a great loss for them, it still could not be accepted.
Greatest Ambition Under Heaven who usually did not participate in conflict could not remain seated any longer. He stood up and asked with a sullen expression: “Duke Huai, do not forget your own identity! Your influence is still not big enough that you can decide the fate of us guardian families! So what if you win? Why must the Yun Family leave the guardian families if you win?!”
“Patriarch Under Heaven asked a good question!” Duke Huai closed his eyes, which now seemed as narrow as swords: “Let this duke give you a clear answer: If we win, it means we are stronger than you! In this world, strength is absolute! The amount of strength one possesses is equal to how much right they have to speak and how much authority they have! As for the stronger party, they naturally have the right to decide. In regards to the weaker party, they do not even have the right to refuse! No matter what world, what plane, this always holds true!”
“Is Patriarch Under Heaven happy with my answer?”
Each word Duke Huai uttered showed the wild ambition he had. At this stage, many could already tell how unusual this was. Strength being absolute was indeed the most basic law in life. With so many people practicing profound cultivation, which one of them did not do it in order to pursue strength, and which one of them did not do it to be above others?!
Duke Huai’s profound strength was not something to be looked down upon and his followers possess enough strength to shake the world. These words of his were said with a confidence and haughtiness that caused Greatest Ambition Under Heaven to be left speechless for a while.
“Yun Qinghong, this matter happened because of your Yun Family and its results would impact the fate of your Yun Family. Do you not even have the guts to make a decision?” Duke Huai turned towards the silent Yun Qinghong: “You can tell this duke straight. This extremely fair competition, are you going to accept it, or not?”
“Brother-in-law, you can’t accept this! The only person who can decide your fate is the Little Demon Empress. You don’t have to bother with those hoodlums!” Mu Yubai said lowly.
What Mu Yubai had said were also the words echoing within the hearts of everyone sitting in the west wing seats. However, just as he finished speaking, Yun Che stood up before Yun Qinghong, and shouted loudly: “Accept! We must accept! Does our Yun Family have anything to fear?!”
“Preposterous!!!”
Mu Feiyan’s beard had already curled up: “This is a major matter of the Yun Family, why are you, a junior, speaking nonsense! Qinghong, Yubai is right. The Yun Family does not need to bother with this matter. Let me see who dares to strip your Yun Family off the Guardian Families!”
Chapter 545 - Yun Che’s Attack
“Hahahahahaha!” Duke Huai threw back his head and laughed loudly. He shook his head, and his face expressed mockery, “Tsk-tsk-tsk-tsk, the Yun Family who was once the head of the Guardian Families and gloried for ten thousand years doesn’t even have the guts to accept the competition, and need other families to stand up for them now. So pathetic and pitiful. A Yun Family like this really doesn’t qualify to even look this duke in the eye. If they could still be one of the Guardian Families, it would be the biggest joke in the world, and it would be our Illusory Demon Realm’s number one laughingstock. Hahahaha.”
“Brother Yun, don’t listen to him!” Su Xiangnan’s eyebrows lowered as he said, “He was just provoking you. Everyone under heaven witnessed your Yun Family’s honor, and no one dares to erase it. I believe it more than anyone else that the Yun Family being at low ebb is only a temporary thing. The Yun Family has you, Yun Qinghong, and the protection of the heroic spirits of Yun Family’s ancestors. It will one day rise again!”
“I completely agree with what Patriarch Su had said.” Yan Zijing nodded heavily, and directly sent Yun Qinghong a Profound Energy Sound Conversion, “You mustn’t accept the challenge! Or else, there would be no coming back from this; even our families and the Duke Palaces would all suffer a setback.”
Under the gaze of the crowd, Yun Qinghong stood up slowly. He didn’t panic, and didn’t seemed to be expressing any anger. Instead, he looked directly at Duke Huai, and smiled lightly, “I agree with what Che’er had said. This battle, our Yun Family must accept!”
“What!” The three brothers, Mu Yubai, Mu Yukong, and Mu Yuqing, all yelled at the same time, “Brother-in-law, have you gone crazy?!!”
“Not crazy,” Yun Qinghong said smilingly. Even though he was the one standing in the eye of the storm, he was the calmest out of everyone, “If someone wants to challenge, then our Yun Family should naturally accept the battle, and this does not have to do with whether or not it determines our Yun Family’s destiny. For ten thousand of years, our Yun Family had encountered countless of battles, won countless of times, and have also been defeated before, but we have never chickened out!”
“If someone dares to challenge, then our Yun Family would dare to accept! Our Yun Family can lose, and we can afford to lose. But even if we suffered a crushing defeat, we would not lose our dignity!!”
Yun Qinghong’s words resounded and echoed in the hall. It pierced in people’s hearts, and made countless of people feel deep respect and admiration.
Old Man Mu raised his arms. He seemed to want to say something, shook his arms a little, and eventually put them down. He sighed and said, “Sigh, I knew you would make such a decision. You Yun Family are all stubborn. Yun Canghai was so, and so are you… Sigh, I guess that’s that. Since you choose to accept the challenge, then we, the Mu Family, will fight by your side.”
“Hehe, this momentum, sure enough, is still the same Yun Qinghong from twenty-five years ago!” Su Xiangnan bursted into laughter after a moment of silence. “If so, our Su Family will do everything to help!”
“Count our Under Heaven Family in!” Greatest Ambition Under Heaven said loudly. “Since Brother Yun had said so, then we shall advance and retreat together!”
“Can’t do it without us Yan Family!” Yan Zijing nodded heavily towards Yun Qinghong.
The Little Demon Empress who was on the throne didn’t make a statement because of Yun Qinghong’s strong persuasion. Her eyes were flickering, as she looked towards the left side of Yun, Under Heaven, Su, Mu, and Yan Family… Duke Huai’s ambitions, she had known long ago. As for how bad the situation was, she saw that even more clearly.
Under this situation, these five families were still willing to, and insisted, on standing by her side. This kind of pure loyalty, as well as the collective burst of pride in this nearly hopeless situation, let the feeling of being “moved” appear for the first time in hundred years in her emotions that were sealed in ice with resentment and sadness.
“Hehehehe, Yun Qinghong is Yun Qinghong after all.” Duke Huai twisted his mouth, “You really didn’t let me down. Even though you know you would definitely lose, you are not willing to be a coward.”
“But you let me down.” Within Yun Qinghong’s calm and indifferent tone, there was deep contempt.
This calmness and contempt caused an incomparable discomfort to surface in Duke Huai’s heart. He scoffed, and immediately looked away.
At this moment, Yun Che stepped forward, and used a voice loud enough so the people surrounding him could hear, “Father, may I take your place and say a few words to this Duke Huai?”
Yun Qinghong gave him a look, and nodded slowly.
“Good!” Yun Che’s raised his head, and faced Duke Huai directly. His question to Yun Qinghong and his actions immediately gathered everyone’s attention towards him.
Before, when the Little Demon Empress asked Yun Qinghong of his identity, it let everyone here know that he wasn’t one of the Yun Family, and instead was Yun Qinghong’s adopted son. Just now, when he yelled “accept the battle” before Yun Qinghong had even spoke, it made many people despise him, and now that he suddenly wanted to come out and speak to Duke Huai, they scoffed against this as well.
“Oh? You have something you want to say to this duke?” Duke Huai looked at him with a sideways glance, and laughed softly.
“I just want to ask Duke Huai a few questions.” Yun Che smiled innocently, “You asked for this battle, does that mean if we lose, our Yun Family would have to leave the Guardian Families?”
“That’s right.” Duke Huai laughed mockingly. “As for the reason, this duke thinks that it had already been stated clearly enough.”
“Oh!” Yun Che nodded, and said, “Then, what if we win? What good does it do for us?”
“Win? Hahahaha.” Duke Huai looked to the side, threw his head back and laughed loudly. The east wing also immediately fell down laughing, as if the whole group just heard a huge joke. Even the face of the people sitting in west wing were twitching.
Yun Che said smilingly, “What? What is the meaning of Duke Huai laughing loudly like this? If the two sides were competing with our strengths, then there will be winners and losers. And in this world, there are no competitions that one side will ‘absolutely’ win! If there really were, then the match would be meaningless, and there would naturally be no need to continue this… Duke Huai, do you agree?”
Duke Huai’s smile converged, and for the first time, he looked at Yun Che with some interest. The youngster in front of him was extremely calm and leisurely, even his gaze was unflinching. Duke Huai could vaguely see the shadow of Yun Qinghong within him. He smiled lightly, and said, “You are quite right. Since it’s a duel, naturally, anyone can lose, and anyone can win. But no matter who loses and who wins, the results will be pretty clear. If we win, then your Yun Family will have to leave the Guardian Families. But if you win, then you can naturally stay within the Guardian Families, and the people who are against would have no complaints.”
“Duke Huai, don’t you think what you’ve said was ridiculous?” Yun Che’s expression suddenly changed, and revealed a mocking smile.
“Ridiculous?” Duke Huai’s eyebrows slanted.
“Not only is it ridiculous, it’s extremely ridiculous.” The expression in Yun Che’s eyes became full of aggression. Even facing this imposing Duke Huai, his face clearly showed an incredible amount of contempt. “If we lose, the entire Yun Family would have to leave the place where we have stayed for a whole ten thousand years. The lives and destinies of the top and bottom of the whole clan would be turned upside down, and the consequences would be extremely tragic.”
“But if you lose, you don’t suffer any consequences!” Yun Che scoffed. “How in the world could there be something so unfair! This duel can be described as a gamble. And the bargaining chip on our side is the destiny of the Yun Family. And you… don’t even have any bargaining chips. This kind of duel that doesn’t even have the most basic fairness, what point is there for a duel?”
Duke Huai’s eyes narrowed. Then, he laughed loudly, “Hahahaha, Yun Qinghong, you really did adopt a good son. I’m surprised that he knows how to advance while stepping back. But attempting to get this duke to give up with this kind of clumsy method, that’s too ridiculous. You want this duke to wager something? Very well. This duke shall give you this opportunity. Just tell me, what kind of leverage should our side give?”
“Since Duke Huai had said so, then I will not hold back.” Yun Che steadily raised his arm, pointed at the seven Guardian Families behind Duke Huai, and said, “If we win in the end, then of the families of Helian, Chiyang, Bai, Nangong, Lin, Jiufang, and Xiao, each family must turn in two and a half kilograms of Purple Veined Divine Crystals in a month! And you, Duke Huai, must gather ten kilograms of Purple Veined Divine Crystals to our Yun Family!
As soon as Yun Che said this, everyone in the hall was stunned. The expression of the seven great Guardian Families in the east wing suddenly changed. Even Yun Qinghong’s facial muscle twitched violently.
If defeated… every family would have to turn in two and a half kilograms of Purple Veined Divine Crystals… Two and a half kilograms of Purple Veined Divine Crystals, not Purple Veined Heaven Crystals, not even normal Purple Crystals!!
Two and a half kilograms of Purple Veined Heaven Crystals were already priceless. As for Purple Veined Divine Crystals, that was something that could be called as a worldly treasure. To more than ninety percent of the citizens in the Illusory Demon Realm’s worldview, it was a mythical item that only existed in legends. It was so precious that even the word “precious” couldn’t describe it.
A whole two and a half kilograms of Purple Veined Divine Crystals, even the Guardian Families who had the top strength, skill, and resources would have to take hundred of years to accumulate two and a half kilograms of Purple Veined Divine Crystals!
With the power of two and a half kilograms of Purple Veined Divine Crystals and the background of the Guardian Families, they could easily cultivate at least five Overlords of the age under thirty. This generation of Yun Family’s young disciples’ strengths had fallen back greatly, and the main reason was because of the extreme limitation of resources, especially of the Purple Veined Divine Crystals… in the past hundred years, they weren’t able to receive any of it.
If a Guardian Family really handed over two and a half kilograms of Purple Veined Divine Crystals, then their strengths would definitely fall just like the Yun Family in the following generations of the next hundred years… and the Yun Family who received a large amount of Purple Veined Divine Crystals from the seven families, would not find it hard to become strong.
Moreover, with Duke Huai’s full ten kilograms… even if Duke Huai plundered everything from the sixty Duke Palaces that were on his side, it might not even add up to ten kilograms. And if he really did that, it would definitely induce the hatred of many of the Duke Palaces.
The “bargaining chips” Yun Che had shouted out, was far more than a lion opening its mouth wide!!
So, even if they knew they would absolutely not lose, the expressions of the seven great families and Duke Palaces all changed. Several of the Patriarchs’ bodies just shivered, and they couldn’t wait to point at Yun Che’s nose and yell and curse at him.
Faced with this kind of “wager”, Duke Huai was also starting to become unnerved. He laughed in a disdainful manner and said, “This duke didn’t think that with your young age, your appetite would be so large. However, you are merely Yun Qinghong’s adopted son. Even if Demon King Yun Canghai were alive, he wouldn’t have the right to order this duke and the Duke Palaces behind this duke. Why must we listen to your words if we lost? Mn?”
“Duke Huai asked a good question!” Duke Huai’s words not only failed to make Yun Che speechless, it in turn made his voice grow louder, “Let me give Duke Huai a clear answer: If we win, it means we are stronger than you! In this world, strength is absolute! The amount of strength one possesses is equal to how much right they have to speak and how much authority they have! As for the stronger party, they naturally have the right to decide. In regards to the weaker party, they do not even have the right to refuse! No matter what world, what plane, this always holds true!”
“Is Duke Huai satisfied with this answer?”
Duke Huai’s face immediately became stiff, and everyone was stunned once again.
The passionate, ambitious words that Duke Huai shouted out earlier when he faced Greatest Ambition Under Heaven’s questioning, was used by Yun Che without changing a word. Every single word was slapped back onto Duke Huai’s face.
“These are Duke Huai’s original words. I wonder if Duke Huai still remembers them?” Yun Che said smilingly. “Oh, if Duke Huai treats his own words like fart, then just pretend I never said anything, hehe, pretend I never said anything.”
Many people in the west wing were gnashing their teeth. Old Mu Feiyan revealed his grinning lips and said, “Tsk, tsk, this brat… even though we can’t win at all, and it would be useless to ask a hundred times more, being able to slap that guy on the face is also fantastic!”
Duke Huai’s face darkened slightly, and he didn’t make a sound. In this world, his own words were the hardest things to refute… because once he refuted them, then there was no doubt that he would be hitting his own face.
“Arrogant junior, you are not qualified to speak!!” The Jiufang family’s Patriarch, Jiufang Kui, couldn’t hold back anymore, as he stood up and roared angrily. Facing a whole two and a half kilograms of Purple Veined Divine Crystals, no one in the whole Illusory Demon Realm would be able to stay calm.
“Duke Huai, you don’t have to acknowledge this junior!” Helian Peng said in a deep voice, “Yun Che, who do you think you are, what qualification do you have to clamor in front of Duke Huai. Get down from there this instant.”
“Hahahahahaha!” Yun Che threw his head back and laughed loudly. He shook his head, looked at Duke Huai and the seven Guardian Families, with a face full of contempt and mockery, “If we lose, the Yun Family would lose ten thousand years worth of mission, status, and honor. But our Yun Family, even facing these cruel consequences, and in the situation with an absolute disadvantage, we still dare to fight!”
“And if you lose, you merely lose two and a half kilograms of Purple Veined Divine Crystals! Compared to the ten thousand years of Yun Family’s honor, let alone two and a half kilograms, even two hundred and fifty kilograms is not worth mentioning! Pity, what a pity… when you were calling us out and trying to expel us, each and everyone of you were more thrilled than the other. And in the case when you have absolute advantage, facing a wager ten thousand times smaller than our Yun Family’s, you chicken out like this. Tsk-tsk-tsk-tsk, it really is ridiculous and pathetic. Lined up with a bunch of families like this as the Twelve Guardian Families, even I, am embarrassed for our Yun Family!”
“And you, Duke Huai!” Yun Che simply ignored the murderous gazes of the various patriarchs. He stared at Duke Huai and laughed coldly, “If you are ready to gather a bunch of people to expel our Yun Family, ready to arrange a battle, and ready to say it’s for the whole Illusory Demon Realm whenever you please… I thought you were bold and daring, but you are nothing more than this! I merely suggested a far smaller wager than our side, but you didn’t even have the guts to accept, and even need the people behind you to clamor and protect you. Hehe, compared to my Father… Oh, no-no, from what it seems like now, you don’t even have the qualifications to be compared to my Father.”
After saying that, Yun Che didn’t even bother to look at Duke Huai. He directly turned to Yun Qinghong and said, “Father, we should just not compete in this battle. The chickens across from us are ridiculous. If we treated them seriously, it would lower our Yun Family’s class.”
Chapter 546 - Showdown!
Duke Huai had always been as tranquil as water, as if he had everything in the palm of his hands, so this was the first time his face had turned green.
“Hahahaha! Good kid!” Once Old Man Mu saw Duke Huai’s expression turn ugly, he let out a completely unrestrained roar of laughter. Originally, their side had been suppressed by Duke Huai since the very beginning, and they were suppressed to the point until they could hardly even breathe. Now that Yun Che had shown up, he forced the other seven families to collectively lose their rags, and also made Duke Huai reveal a deflated expression… It simply felt way too refreshing.
Everyone discovered that they had completely underestimated this young man. When he faced Duke Huai, his temperament was calm and collected from start to finish, and he did not back down an inch. Moreover, his words were extremely sharp and incisive; they rendered Duke Huai speechless and caused each of the seven Patriarchs to tremble in rage.
And what caused the people to truly gasp in astonishment was the immense nerve Yun Che showed! The person who was standing opposite him was Duke Huai, an individual who could strike a profound fear in the hearts of the Patriarchs of the Guardian Families and even the Little Demon Empress. Not only was Yun Che vigorous towards him, he yelled at him freely and recklessly. The imposing Duke Huai was called out to be good-for-nothing, and a chicken that cannot even be compared to his father. That expression of disdain and his tone of despise was clearly seen and heard by everyone.
Just based on what Yun Che just said earlier, the thought of killing him had already emerged in Duke Huai’s heart. His mind quickly calculated; he quickly confirmed the combat capabilities on his side and the strongest twelve people that the other party could send out. Then, he considered every possible uncertain factors, and the conclusion that he had reached, was that it was absolutely impossible for his side to lose.
Then, the only explanation that he could think of was this… the Yun Che before his eyes, was obviously pretending to be strong, trying to make him afraid, so he would avoid the battle that could make the other party lose their dignity!
That was the only possibility!
Thinking of that, Duke Huai immediately calmed down. He faced Yun Che’s back, and said, “Yun Che, your solo performance is too clumsy. Has this duke ever said that we don’t dare to accept?”
“Oh?” Yun Che turned around, and an expression of surprise flashed in his eyes… Even though it was only a split second, Duke Huai’s eyes were very sharp and he captured it crystal clear. He scoffed in his mind: I knew it.
“If so, that means Duke Huai accepts?” Yun Che asked seriously. He arched his eyebrow, and said while laughing lightly, “But, it doesn’t mean anything if only Duke Huai accepts. Can you represent the seven Guardian Families behind you?”
“Heheheheh,” Duke Huai had recovered the leisurely attitude from before, and said smilingly, “This duke had never really been afraid of anyone all my life, and I will definitely not be afraid of this wager you suggested. It doesn’t matter to this duke what this so-called ‘wager’ is, because this duke… will absolutely not lose, hahahaha.”
Duke Huai started laughing; although the laughter was not too loud, it was filled with deep arrogance. He turned around, looked at the seven Guardian Families, and asked, “Patriarchs, do you all have any objections?”
“If Duke Huai has no objections, we naturally would not have any either.” All the Patriarchs nodded in agreement. Looking at the confident Duke Huai, they all calmed down and thought… That’s right, if the fight was carried out according to the rules Duke Huai had suggested, it would not be possible for their side to lose! The differences in combined strength of the young generation between the two sides was too overwhelming, there was no chance that they would lose. Even if they could only send six people, they still had absolute confidence in defeating the twelve opponents!
Let alone it being twelve against twelve!!
Although the so-called “wager”that Yun Che had suggested sounded overwhelming, it was merely a thought that would never come true!
“Did you hear that?” Duke Huai looked at Yun Che with narrowed eyes, “We have agreed on the wager that you have requested. This competition will decide the Yun Family’s fate. Can we begin this competition yet? Or, do you still want to find other reasons to delay it?”
“Delay?” Yun Che looked shocked, “Why would we want to delay? From the start, I’ve agreed with holding the competition, I can’t even wait for it to begin. However, since Duke Huai knows that this competition is going to decide my Yun Family’s fate, then the fairness and the conclusion of the competition is undoubted crucial! This competition requires the absolute authority to oversee it.”
After Yun Che finish speaking righteously, he faced the Little Demon Empress, bowed and said, “Little Demon Empress! This competition, I request for you to please witness the whole process and the end results, then announce the end results to everyone here… and even announce it to the whole world!”
The Little Demon Empress looked at Yun Che steadily for a while, and her voice that was as cold as ice sounded, “Whether or not your Yun Family can continue to be part of the Guardian Families, the only person in this world who can decide that is this empress! Even if ten times more people are against you Yun Family, if this empress doesn’t agree, no one can interfere with Yun Family’s destiny. However, if this competition begins, and you lose in the end, then you will have to obey to the ‘wager’, and not be able to continue your duty as one of the Guardian Families. At that time, even this empress will not be able to keep you… Even so, are you sure you want to battle?”
“We must battle!” Yun Che said without any hesitation, “Our Yun Family is incredibly thankful for the Little Demon Empress’ high regard, but this battle is not only about our family’s destiny, but more importantly, our family’s dignity! If we don’t fight, even if the Little Demon Empress gave mercy and let our Yun Family continue staying on the position of one of the Guardians, there would be even more voices that want the Yun Family to leave, and everyone under the heaven will despise us. Our Yun Family is bound to fight this battle, and forever silence those dishonest people!”
Yun Che’s words deeply moved the hearts of many Yun Family members; made them clutch their fists, and nod their heads. They no longer thought that he was impetuous and reckless. The Little Demon Empress locked her brows and raised her head to look at Yun Qinghong… Yun Qinghong nodded slowly towards her.
“Very well!” The Little Demon Empress stood up, and a dominating force like the ocean instantly filled every corner. Her every word shock people’s hearts, “Then this empress will witness this battle personally! This battle, if Duke Huai’s side wins, the Yun Family will lose their right to be one of the Guardian Families; if the Yun Family’s side wins, then Helian, Chiyang, Bai, Nangong, Lin, Jiufang, Xiao, each of these seven families will have to gather two and a half kilograms of Purple Veined Divine Crystals in a month’s time, and turn it over to the Yun Family! And Duke Huai, you will also have the same amount of time to gather ten kilograms of Purple Veined Divine Crystals to the Yun Family!”
“These are the wagers that you have agreed to yourselves. No matter who loses, there is no going back on your words! Or else, this empress will be the first to not forgive this!”
“I thank Little Demon Empress!” Yun Che loudly said right after the Little Demon Empress’s voice. He then turned around, and faced everyone in the hall, “And everyone from different regions, brothers and sisters of our Illusory Demon Realm, Seniors, may you all please witness this together! With all the heroes in the realm witnessing this together, if the losing side still goes back on their words, then if would truly be embarrassing. At least, our Yun Family would never do something like that.”
With the witness of everyone, it was no question that these were the strongest witnesses! The result of this match, would also be brought to every corner of the Illusory Demon Realm because of the people here. If under a witness like this, the losing side wanted to go back on their word, then it would really be as Yun Che had said; their entire family would be humiliated.
“Well said, that was very well said. With the Little Demon Empress and everyone here as witnesses, that really couldn’t be better.” Duke Huai’s eyes narrowed until it was only a small line. As calm and as passionate Yun Che’s side acted, the more peaceful he felt. Because from how he saw it, this was obviously the other party using this method to try to earn some last pride for the Yun Family knowing that they would definitely lose. He used his lifetime’s amount of wisdom, and still could not think of any possible ways for the other party to win.
“No need to continue talking!” The Little Demon Empress waved her hand, her eyes were like cold stars, “I will give each side three hundred breaths of time to prepare and decide who will represent them. Twelve people on each side, and the age cannot surpass thirty-five! This empress will personally select the location for the battle!”
“We solemnly obey the Little Demon Empress’ order.” Duke Huai casually cupped his hands, and didn’t make any other movements so he could have time to look at Yun Family’s side. He had already decided who would to take part in this battle, so there was no need to waste more time to make a selection.
Yun Che went back to his seat, his expression serious. Xiao Yun’s face was already so tense that it was sometimes red and sometimes pale. After all, the showdown that was about to take place was going to determine the whole Yun Family’s destiny! He was extremely nervous as he said, “Big Brother, is… is everything really okay?”
Yun Che’s brows twitched, as he faced Yun Qinghong and said: “Father, do you trust me?”
Yun Qinghong looked at him, then said smilingly: “You are my son. If I don’t even trust you, who else would I trust in this world?”
Yun Che’s heart warmed. He smiled: “Father, don’t worry, I won’t fail to live up to your trust.”
However, Yun Qinghong shook his head: “Che’er, you don’t need to pressure yourself this much, nor do you need to take this burden on yourself. Since we’ve been forced to such a state, no matter if we win or lose, we still have to fight this battle. So what if we lose? So what if we are banished from the Guardian Family position? As long as the whole family still exists, no matter where the Yun Family ends up, there will be a day where we’ll rise up again! If we win, that’ll obviously be delightful, if we lose, we can afford to lose!”
Yun Qinghong’s words caused the nervousness in Xiao Yun’s heart to be blown away by a gust of cool wind. His expression eased, as he gripped both his hands: “Father, you’re so right! It’s exactly like this, even if the Yun Family loses, Father, Mother, and Big Brother are still here! What is there to be afraid of?!”
“Hehe.” Yun Che began to laugh, then said with incomparable seriousness: “Father, Mother, Xiao Yun, don’t you ever worry! Even though I can’t say with great certainty that we would be able to win this competition, I can promise you that even if we lose, we will still not be kicked out! Our Yun Family ‘s dignity also wouldn’t receive the slightest bit of taint either… So much that when the time comes, even if we want to voluntarily leave, everyone in the world wouldn’t be willing!”
“Ah?” Xiao Yun forcefully blinked his eyes, his face full of astonishment and bewilderment.
In comparison, Su Family, Yan Family, Mu Family, and the Under Heaven Family, were even more tense than the Yun Family.
“Zhizhan, our side’s core fighting strength in this battle is you! You have to remember, this is not merely related to the Yun Family’s matter, you have to give it your all!” Su Xiangnan gravely told his son.
“Rest assured Father, I will do my very best.” Su Zhizhan said with determination.
“Chengkong, our Yan Family will naturally take you out to battle. Remember, don’t slack off just because you think we’ll definitely lose. This is not only related to Yun Family fate, it also concerns our Yan Family’s future and honor! Even if we lose, we still have to lose tragically, after using all we have! Show our Yan Family’s heroic appearance in defeat!” Yan Zijing said while grabbing Yan Chengkong’s shoulder.
“Yes! I definitely won’t dishonor our Yan Family!” Yan Chengkong nodded heavily.
“Old Six, it’ll be your turn soon.” Greatest Ambition Under Heaven only spoke a few dull words, but his expression had already said everything.
“Old Six, no matter who the opponent is, you must never hold back!” Number One Under Heaven exclaimed.
“Old Six, good luck.” Number Seven Under Heaven said with a nervous expression.
“Father, and everyone else, don’t worry. I know what this competition means… how could I dare slack off!!” Number Six Under Heaven said with a cautious expression.
“Hengyi, you are the most outstanding person within our Mu Family’s young generation. This time, you shall go out to represent our clan. The opponents are all far stronger than we are, are you scared?” Mu Feiyan asked personally. Mu Yubai, Mu Yukong, Mu Yuqing were all unmarried, and didn’t have kids either. This Mu Hengyi was Third Grand Elder’s eldest grandson.
“Rest assured Patriarch. Even though my cultivation is low, if they want to beat me, it wouldn’t be that easy!” Mu Hengyi said with complete vigor.
After one person from Su, Yan, Under Heaven, Mu, and Yun Family, there were still seven remaining people that came from the Duke Palaces. Among these seven, there were two “Illusory Demon Seven Scions”, that were naturally selected while the various duke palaces had difficulty selecting the other five.
In this kind of tense and heavy atmosphere, three hundred breaths went by very quickly.
“It’s time.”
The Little Demon Empress who was closing her eyes in silence opened her eyes. She got up and instantly teleported to the center of the hall. Underneath her grey robe, her white, delicate skin was burning with bright, red fire.
At that instant, a red ring with a diameter of three hundred meters was deeply imprinted in the center of the jade floor, and the bright, red ring was made with many small, eternal flames.
Being the most vital great hall of the entire Illusory Demon Realm, every tile and pane present were extremely difficult to destroy, and a person who could imprint such a huge mark in an instant was scarce within the entire Illusory Demon Realm. This was also why the battles between the twelve families and the duke palaces were held within the great hall with no need to search for another venue during all the previous Demon Emperor Reign Ceremonies.
“The area of this ring is the competition area! During the battle, if one side surrenders, falls for more than ten breaths of time, or is hit out of the competition area, it would be counted as their loss!”
Chapter 547 - Instant Defeat
The arena that the Little Demon Empress had drawn just happened to be at the center of the Demon Imperial Hall. Duke Huai stood up and laughed, “You may enter first.”
The west wing patriarchs and dukes all gathered at Yun Qinghong’s side, with the eleven selected participants also standing behind them. As for the twelfth participant, that was naturally to be chosen from the Yun Family, but Yun Qinghong seemed to not have completely decided on who to select for battle.
“Brother Yun, how we’ll fight will be up to you to decide.” Su Xiangnan said. With Yun Qinghong directing them, he believed that no one would object.
Yun Qinghong slightly mumbled, “The outcome of this competition isn’t really judged by the number of wins, rather, it’s by an elimination system, so the order in which they go on stage isn’t all that important. Thus, the order should just be up to the children to decide. However… with how much I know about Duke Huai, even though he moves flamboyantly, he is still an extremely meticulous, cautious person. Even if he is absolutely sure about the outcome, he still won’t hold back. Therefore, he will dispatch all five of their ‘Illusory Demon Seven Scions’… including Hui Ran! You all have to mentally prepare yourselves enough for this.”
The various patriarchs and dukes nodded, their expressions becoming even heavier.
“Even though Duke Huai would not outright send his first string which possessed absolute power, he still would not forget to give us an initial show of strength. Thus, even if the other party’s number one is not their strongest, it still wouldn’t be their weakest, so the one who chooses to go out first must not hold on to the hope that their first selection would be their weakest. Instead, you must be aware that you are going up against a powerful opponent.” Yun Qinghong slowly analyzed. His brows condensed, “I only have one word of advice, even if the other party’s strength is enough to thoroughly crush you, you must never concede that easily! Under a situation in which you are bound to lose, try to make the opponent use up the greatest amount of energy possible, or even sustain injuries. That is how we’ll be able to win this competition! Win with dignity, and also allow the teammate behind you to have a greater chance of winning!”
“Understood!” The eleven participants at the rear voiced out, each of their expressions becoming unwaveringly determined.
“In addition, you must be cautious to not be knocked out of the arena. With that kind of loss, the other party would use up the least amount of energy. Similarly, that is also the most desirable way for you to win against your opponent.”
“Then I’ll go first!” Mu Family’s Mu Hengyi deeply roared.
As his voice fell, his entire person had already flown high in the air, then landed in the center of the arena. In the instant the tips of his feet landed, freezing-cold profound energy had already erupted from his body, as a current of ice-cold violent wind swept toward his surroundings. With a wave of his arm, an Ice Crystal Long Whip lashed out.
“Mu Family’s Mu Hengyi.”
It was only a short four words, but it was incredibly imposing.
“Oh, so you are the Mu Family’s Third Grand Elder’s young master Hengyi.” Duke Huai looked at Mu Hengyi with an admiring expression for a while, then turned to the side and said, “Who among you will come forward for the battle?”
No one responded to Duke Huai’s calling. The corner of his mouth slanted slightly, and said, “If no one would willingly come forward on their own, then this duke will make the selection. Zihuan, you will be the one to fight against the Mu Family’s Young Master Hengyi.”
As soon as Duke Huai spoke of the name “Zihuan”, the expression of everyone in the west wing changed altogether.
Duke Zihuan, a young duke from Duke Zhao’s Duke Palace, but this wasn’t his most notable title. His other identity was one of the “Illusory Demon Seven Scions” that were prestigious in the Illusory Demon Realm, and he was ranked fourth!!
Yun Qinghong’s guess was right. The first person that Duke Huai had sent forward was someone who wasn’t in the first tier, but was someone who definitely was not weak. Even though they had enough mental preparation, the faces of the dukes and patriarchs from each family still showed nervousness. Especially the people from the Mu Family, half of them immediately stood up.
Because Mu Hengyi, was definitely not a match for this Duke Zihuan… definitely not!
Just in terms of profound strength, Mu Hengyi was at the third level of the Tyrant Profound Realm, whereas Duke Zihuan was at the peak of the Tyrant Profound Realm’s fifth level! Among the many in the east wing, his strength was placed in the middle, but in the west wing, only Su Zhizhan could beat him.
At the lower stages of profound strength, a difference of one stage wouldn’t be too much, but once it reached the Tyrant Profound Realm, a difference of one stage would amount to an enormous disparity in skill. Even with the Yun Family’s powerful Profound Handle, it could only surpass one stage. Mu Hengyi and Duke Zihuan’s difference of two stages was something that could not be compensated. Moreover, Zihuan was not a normal level five Tyrant Profound Realm, he was at the peak of level five.
On top of that, Zihuan belonged to the Illusory Demon Royal Family. Even though his Demon Emperor’s bloodline was thin, it was still the blood of a divine beast. In terms of physique, he already greatly exceeded normal humans and demons.
So, Mu Hengyi would definitely lose this battle!
Duke Zihuan, whose name was called upon, was distracted for a second. Then, he stood up, gave Mu Hengyi a glance, and responded with an “Oh” in a feeble tone; he obviously looked unwilling to do so. He jumped up and entered the arena. He held his arms around his chest and gave Mu Hengyi a sideways glance. His eyes were filled with disdain, even a fool could see it clearly… It was obvious that he didn’t even take the competition in front of him seriously, and he was even somewhat upset at Duke Huai making him fight against someone who was this weak.
Duke Huai said slowly, “Zihuan, Hengyi is the grandson of the Mu Family’s Third Grand Elder, and is the number one in the Mu Family’s young generation. He is a strong opponent, you must not underestimate him. You must give him your best.”
“Oh, I got it.” Duke Zihuan still responded with a feeble tone. A profound formation flashed in his hand, and a blood-red long blade instantly appeared in his grasp. With its blade tip pointing at the ground, he put his other hand behind his back, then gave Mu Hengyi a twisted smile, “Um… oh, what was your name again… let’s hurry up and start this. Oh, you can go first, attack however you like.”
Even though Mu Hengyi’s expression didn’t change, his eyes almost shot out fire.
He himself knew that his profound strength could not compare to this Duke Zihuan, but he was still number one of the Mu Family’s young generation, and everyone in Demon Imperial City knew that he was the Mu Family’s third young master. He had never endured such contempt before!
His eyes showed disdain, his expression showed disdain, even what he said was filled with mockery and loathing.
Even if I can’t beat you… I must leave a scar on your neck!!
It was as if a volcano exploded within Mu Hengyi’s heart. He roared deeply as he swung his Ice Crystal Long Whip, and created countless ice crystals that could pierce through bone. They flew towards Duke Zihuan like a swarm of locusts in the sky. At the same time, a blue light flashed on his body. A layer of ice crystals formed on the surface of his body, and as his shadow swayed, it created a freezing-cold storm that headed straight towards Duke Zihuan, who hadn’t entered his fighting stance.
“Looks like Hengyi is completely enraged. He used ‘Frost Crystal Annihilation’ as soon as the fight started,” someone from the Mu Family said.
Yun Qinghong’s eyebrows fiercely jumped at this moment, and then he sighed helplessly, “Oh no!”
Standing there, Duke Zihuan, whose face expressed laziness, suddenly flashed with a split-second sneer. The hand that was at his back grabbed onto the handle as quick as lightning. His body that was originally not imposing at all, immediately burst with a strong aura of profound strength… the long blade in his hand shined with a bright, blood-red profound light.
The silence just now wasn’t because of underestimation and arrogance… he was quietly building up his power! And it exploded at this very second!
Because people from the Illusory Demon Royal Family possessed the Golden Crow’s bloodline, they had an incomparable gift when it came to cultivating fire attribute profound arts. Therefore, even though the dukes of Illusory Demon Royal Family didn’t have the right to cultivate the 《Golden Crow’s Record of the Burning World》 that was exclusive to Demon Emperors, they all cultivated fire attribute profound arts.
It was no different for Duke Zihuan.
The blade he wielded in his hand was named “Scarlet Blood” and the skill he executed was the “Blood Flame Strike” that all the Illusory Demon profound practitioners feared!!!
The Duke Zihuan before his eyes, who was previously as calm as lake water, suddenly became as ferocious as an oncoming tsunami. Since Mu Hengyi’s all-out attack was made in anger, added to the fact that he never expected the opponent who was obviously looking down on him to suddenly burst out with a fierce counterattack, there was no chance for him to avoid this strike, and he could only face the Scarlet Blood Blade straight on…
A scarlet, blood-red radiance flashed past the sky and the cool air became a vicious storm, as the ice crystals that filled the air quickly turned into the smallest of particles.
Bang!!
Mu Hengyi’s Frost Crystal Annihilation which bore great destructive powers was instantly torn apart. After that, the ice layer on the surface of his body was also cut open… The red beam continued onwards, and slashed onto his protective profound energy. A ball of red light burst mercilessly at that instant… and right now, a sneer appeared on Duke Zihuan’s face.
“Kid, what we want is not only to win, but to make you lose in the ugliest way possible!!”
A low, mocking whisper resounded in Mu Hengyi’s ears as he flew out of the battle arena with his body covered in shattered ice crystals and long streaks of bloodstains, crashing toward the Mu Family’s seats.
“Hengyi!!!”
A Mu Family member cried out in alarm. Mu Yubai quickly flew over, catching Mu Hengyi who had been sent flying while splattering blood.
A deep cut went from Mu Hengyi’s waist all the way to the position of his heart. It was a foot long, so deep that even his internal organs could be seen.
“Hengyi!!”
“Hengyi, are you alright…”
“Quick!! Quick, bring the medicine!”
Mu Family’s members quickly gathered at Mu Hengyi’s side. Several Great Elders evenly channeled profound energy, sealing his wound. Mu Hengyi unwaveringly gritted his teeth, not uttering the slightest of screams, but his complexion was as white as paper. He gasped heavily, looked at Mu Yubai and Mu Feiyan, and said in shame, “Patriarch… Hengyi is useless… lost… so unsightly… lost… our clan’s… face…”
Everyone knew that Mu Hengyi would lose, but no one would ever think that he would actually lose this fast.
Instant defeat… a completely unexaggerated instant defeat!!
Even though there was a large disparity between the strengths of Mu Hengyi and Duke Zihuan, an all-out reaction should not have caused such a tragic defeat. However, the other party’s strength was obviously an absolute advantage, yet he still used such an act of contempt and ridicule to anger Mu Hengyi, causing him to lose his cautiousness. As for Duke Zihuan’s disdainful appearance, he was actually already maneuvering the energy in his body in secret… In an all-out direct collision, how could a level three Tyrant Profound Realm defeat a peak level five Tyrant Profound Realm, moreover, against an Illusory Demon’s duke who held an absolute advantage in terms of innate talent?!
Not only was Mu Hengyi instantly defeated, he didn’t even cause the other party the slightest bit of injury, and the amount of power the other party used was also very small.
Number One Under Heaven flew to Mu Hengyi’s side and injected his elven powers. Soon after, Mu Hengyi’s cut stopped aching.
Mu Feiyan’s chest heavily heaved. He didn’t blame Mu Hengyi, and instead said with a heavy expression, “Your loss was indeed unsightly, and losing this match is of no value… However, to you, this match has great worth! Because luckily, you are not against your mortal enemy this time, otherwise, you wouldn’t have ended up just being simply injured and defeated! Properly reflect on why you have lost this shamefully. Once you realize it, you would be able to live longer next time!”
“Yes…” Mu Hengyi closed his eyes, and said in shame, “It was I… who let my guard down… because of the opponent’s provocation… I will remember this lesson for my entire lifetime…”
“Alright, close your eyes and rest now. If you have something to say, say it when you’ve recovered from your injuries.” After Mu Yubai finished speaking, he turned around, and icily gazed at Duke Zihuan.
“Cough, didn’t expect Brother Hengyi’s body to be this weak. This humble duke merely hit him once, and he was injured this seriously. If I knew beforehand, I would have only used half of the strength just now.” Duke Zihuan acted as if he was blaming himself, “Senior Mu, during the competition, injuries cannot be avoided. You won’t give this humble duke a hard time because of this, right?”
No one could be held responsible for the wounds from a sparring competition. Moreover, it took place in Demon Imperial Hall with everyone watching. Mu Yubai knew for sure that even if he intentionally maimed Mu Hengyi, he couldn’t say anything about it. He scoffed, and didn’t say half a word to Duke Zihuan, turning his gaze towards Yun Qinghong.
They could already tell, not only did Duke Huai’s side want to beat them, they wanted to make them lose in the most awful, miserable, ugly way possible, and step all over their dignity and pride.
Chapter 548 - Four Consecutive Defeats
“Wen Ji, you’re up!” Yun Qinghong said after he pondered in silence for a while.
“Ah… me?” Behind Yun Qinghong, a callow youth dressed in the attire of the Duke Palaces pointed at himself as he wore a lost and panicked look on his face.
Wen Ji was the son of Duke Xu, and his talent and strength were both uncommon. But taking account his profound strength at the second level of the Tyrant Profound Realm at the age of twenty-nine, he would be labelled as a bottom-feeder among the creme de la creme of the Illusory Demon Realm’s young elites that were gathered here… Even among the west wing, which was much weaker than the east wing, he was still at the bottom.
In the first round, Mu Hengyi had already suffered a crippling defeat at the hands of Zihuan. So for the second round, it stood to reason that a person who was sufficient to challenge Duke Zihuan should step up to the plate, because even if that person could not win, that person would still be able to retain some dignity in defeat. And if Wen Ji were to face an opponent who had completely dominated Mu Hengyi, he would only lose in a more spectacular fashion.
“Yes. Wen Ji, you’ll be the one taking the second round.” Yun Qinghong turned to face him and declared with sunken brows, “The one you are about to face is indeed an opponent that is hard for you to fight, but as both of you are dukes of the Illusory Demon Royal Family, even if you lose in battle, you would have simply lost in power. However, you cannot lose your fighting spirit even before you have not even lost yet.”
Wen Ji ground his teeth together and quickly regained his equilibrium. He simply stated, “Understood!”
“Even though you and Zihuan are separated by three levels, the two of you are still both Overlords. Even if he wins, he will still have to exert himself. Your goal is to exhaust as much of his profound energy as you can… Remember, concentrate thirty percent of your power on offense and the rest on defense and when you attack, only target his vitals when you are confident of delivering a critical strike. Also, no matter what he says, you must always maintain your cool! If you can do all of the above, then this match can be counted as a win.”
“I understand!” Wen Ji nodded his head vigorously and flew into the air to land inside the arena.
“Duke Xu Palace’s Wen Ji, please give me your guidance.”
“Ah, so it is Brother Wen Ji.” Duke Zihuan said as he narrowed his eyes and smiled, “It really looks like your side can’t find any proper candidates, because they actually sent you out as well. Ah, even I am filled with pity for you right now.”
Wen Ji, “….”
Duke Zihuan extended his finger towards him and beckoned him with an incomparably contemptuous crook of that finger, “Come, feel free to attack whenever you want. Because if I can’t subdue an amateur like you in ten moves, then I won’t have any face to continue living in this Demon Imperial City.”
Any member of the Illusory Demon Royal Family were individuals exalted above all others, so they would never have faced such humiliation before. So Wen Ji clenched both his fists tightly, he almost lost himself to rage, but he quickly recalled Yun Qinghong’s advice. There was a quick intake of breath as he sought to swiftly calm himself down, and after that, he did not speak as he planted both feet on the ground. A golden spear then appeared in his hands. As it pierced towards Duke Zihuan’s chest, it produced a golden afterimage; at the same time, his domain was opened at full strength.
“Explosive Flame Domain!!”
A deep red flame was concentrated at the tip of the golden spear as the gigantic energy of the domain suddenly explosively swelled up like a tsunami, amplifying the power of the spear as it streaked towards Duke Zihuan’s body… Scarlet flames might have been the lowest form of profound fire, but the scarlet flames used by the Illusory Demon Royal Family was the lowest form of the Golden Crow’s Flames and its strength was far superior to even the regular deep purple profound flames.
“See how this duke will shatter your lousy spear!”
Duke Zihuan roared out arrogantly as he swung his Scarlet Blood Blade, instantly producing seven blood-colored blade beams. These extremely sharp blades beams carried a scorching heat and easily tore Wen Ji’s domain apart. The sound of the blades splitting air was akin to a blade being scratched over glass; it was extremely ear-piercing.
At this time, the golden spear that was streaking towards Zihuan suddenly slowed down and after a violent shudder, it was instantly displaced. Four of Duke Zihuan’s blade beams that shot out of his Blood Blade struck empty air, but the other three clashed with the tip of Wen Ji’s spear. After a chaotic and ear-piercing shattering sound, the three energy blades were completely neutralized and Wen Ji was pushed ten steps back by the ensuing impact.
“Mn?” Zihuan’s eyebrows twitched, then let out a cold laugh. His body blurred and his blade danced like a dragon as he instantly unleashed a lightning quick slash at Wen Ji.
“True Flame Shield!!”
Bang!!
The Scarlet Blood Blade made contact with the flame vortex that suddenly materialized in front of Wen Ji, but it only took a breath for this flame vortex to be torn. With the flashing of two blood-colored flashes, the flame vortex completely disappeared. As the Scarlet Blood Blade plunged straight through, it smashed into Wen Ji’s golden spear with a resounding clash.
A heavy ring resounded in the air and Wen Ji’s body swayed as blood leaked out from the corner of his mouth. However, he stubbornly endured and did not retreat. The Scarlet Blood Blade had cut half an inch into the golden spear he had infused all of his might into, but it was still very far from cutting it apart.
Zihuan had arrogantly yelled that he wanted to shatter Wen Ji’s spear, but after five strikes, Wen Ji still managed to hang on… Wen Ji initially looked as if he had poured all his strength into a fierce assault, but he suddenly switched positions, avoiding Zihuan’s attacks and reverted from defense to attack as quickly as he possibly could. Even though he had been injured, he had yet to retreat a single step.
Zihuan’s eyes narrowed and he yelled in a low voice, “You punk, collapse!”
The flames on the Scarlet Blood Blade suddenly flashed and an enormous energy exploded outwards as Zihuan put all of his strength into this strike. Wen Ji’s face paled and his body was blown backwards, but Zihuan’s blade followed after like a striking viper. In a short space of time, three streaks of thick, eye-piercing blood-colored blade beams flew out.
Clang!! Clang!! Scree!!
After enduring the second blade beam, the golden spear finally flew out of Wen Ji’s hand. The third blade beam slashed into his chest, cutting apart the profound energy shielding his body and the breastplate wrapped around his chest… But after it had cut through both the profound energy and the armor, the Scarlet Blood Blade had no more power. Wen Ji flew through the air, but he managed to land solidly on his feet, and underneath the broken breastplate, his chest only had one thin red line drawn across it.
Wen Ji made a gesture with his hand and the golden spear was recalled into his hand. He wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and chuckled, “It has already been eight moves.”
Even though he had been beaten like a dog and only had the power to defend than attack, he had managed to solidly resist the attacks of the Zihuan who was three levels stronger than him in profound strength… And especially those last three blows, they were executed using Zihuan’s full strength.
And the boast that Wen Ji would be beaten down in ten moves was yelled out for all to hear by Zihuan himself. So if he could not win in ten moves, he would undoubtedly have slapped his own face.
“This bastard…” Duke Zihuan ground his teeth silently, but gave off an air of disdain, “This duke was merely showing you mercy just now because I did not want you to lose in too ugly a manner. Did you really think that you are worthy to grace this duke’s Scarlet Blood Blade for so long?!”
Duke Zihuan’s eyes gained a fierce focus. He suddenly let out a low roar as the bloody light on the blade suddenly exploded forth. In an instant, Wen Ji’s already unstable domain was directly shorn into two halves.
The profound art that Zihuan cultivated was the Blood Flame Blade and the weapon he used was also the blood-red Scarlet Blood Blade. Even his energy blades were blood-colored, and it was to the extent that even the flames that he released materialized as blood flames. After his profound energy had suddenly flared up and exploded, the air within a hundred meter radius of him was covered in blood-colored ripples of energy, and the entire arena seemed to be covered with a layer of dull-colored blood.
The complexion of Wen Ji, who was the closest to Zihuan, suddenly changed. He doggedly gritted his teeth and positioned the golden spear in front of him.
Duke Zihuan let out a deep, low yell as he raised the Scarlet Blood Blade horizontally across… And the aura of his blade was sufficient enough to manifest an astonishing power so it definitely had exhausted a suitably large amount of energy. But in order to defeat Wen Ji in two moves, he had no choice but to pay the price… the big words had already been spoken, so he had to defeat Wen Ji with this attack, no matter what.
“Nether Flame Strike!!”
Duke Zihuan yelled out as the Scarlet Blood Blade lashed out and in an instant energy blades crazily flew out as they enshrouded the entire area and rended it asunder.
Facing the blade beams and blood flames which seemed to cover the sky, Wen Ji heightened his focus to the extreme. With a loud yell, he retreated as swiftly as he could while concentrating all the profound energy he could muster into the golden spear. The golden spear began rotating rapidly and formed a giant flame barrier.
Bang!!
It was as if a blood lotus had bloomed in midair, and below the blood lotus, the Scarlet Blood Blade fiercely clashed together with the golden spear. The power of both the Overlords surged wildly as it erupted forth and a thirty-three meter wide curtain of flames spread at the center of the Demon Imperial Hall.
Wen Ji’s flame domain had completely dissipated and his entire body flew out from within the curtain of flames along with his golden spear, heavily falling onto the ground. It was only after he tumbled and rolled on the ground many times that he was able to force himself up to his feet. But blood was flowing rapidly from one of his arms and he had ended up outside of the arena.
“Wen Ji, you have lost. You may withdraw.” The Little Demon Empress declared expressionlessly.
As her voice fell, the people from Duke Xu Palace had already flown to Wen Ji’s side, and they carried him back to their seats. At the same time, they excitedly praised him, “You actually forced Duke Zihuan to use the Nether Flame Strike… Young duke, you put up a good fight.”
“Heh…” Wen Ji managed to croak out a laugh. After which he closed his eyes and promptly fainted dead away.
“This punk actually wasted so much of this duke’s energy.” After the Nether Flame Strike had been used, Duke Zihuan began to show faint signs of strain, but he could not blame anyone else, he could only blame himself for boasting too recklessly. And it was at this moment that a fierce sword wind suddenly descended from above.
“Duke Xi Palace’s Zi Feng, please give me your guidance!!”
Duke Zihuan was about to reply, but Zi Feng did not even give him an opportunity to open his mouth. What came at him instead was a series of rapid attacks that consisted of fierce flames and sword shadows. Zihuan had just used a huge skill so he suffered from a temporary deficit of profound energy. Under these series of rapid strikes, he hurriedly retreated from his opponent in a fluster. But in the end, he was still the one who was ranked fourth among the Illusory Demon Seven Scions. Moreover, the other party only had a profound strength at the third level of the Tyrant Profound Realm. His profound energy swiftly surged forward and the bloody light of the Scarlet Blood Blade radiated out, “Trash like you wants to win against this duke? Keep dreaming!!”
Bang-bang-bang-bang-bang!!
He chained together five strokes of his blade and a huge blood-colored wave of fire was blasted out. Zi Feng teetered on the edge of the arena as he was pushed all the way back, but he lifted his sword and charged forward once more as he fearlessly clashed swords with Zihuan. Twenty clashes later, he was inevitably sent flying nearly one hundred meters by Zihuan’s blade and vomited three arrows of blood in succession. He wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and raised his sword anew. He let out a wild yell, and thrusted directly towards Zihuan as the howl of his sword caused the entire Demon Imperial Hall to vibrate.
“Rainbow Rend!!”
It was as if a meteor had drawn itself across the space in the Imperial Demon Hall and even the ones in the corners of the hall could feel a shocking sword intent. Facing Zi Feng’s sword strike, Duke Zihuan let out a wild and arrogant shout. He did not dodge or duck, an instead, took it head on…
“Phantom Flame StrikeBlade!!”
Bloody light and sword shadows clashed chaotically, but the bloody light suddenly flashed, passing through layers of sword shadows and cut across Zi Feng’s body.
Zi Feng gave out a low moan and his long sword flew out of his hand as his entire person flew out as well as he landed in the seats which were more than six hundred and fifty meters away.
“Zi Feng has lost, it is still Zihuan who is victorious!” The Little Demon Empress said with furrowed brows.
Within the east wing, Zihuan’s ability was only in the middle of the pack, but the three people who had been sent forth from the west wing had all fallen under his blade! The expressions of all the people who were seated in the west wing had become uglier and uglier, and at this time, a person from the Duke Palaces flew up into the air and sent a blast of fierce fire towards Zihuan.
“Duke Gu Palace’s Cheng Yang, take this!!”
The fourth representative presented himself thusly and greeted Duke Zihuan with a fierce assault.
Flames clashed and profound energy rumbled, as the middle of the great hall was filled with endless explosions and roars of power. The two opponents clashed fiercely for tens of rounds, but following the explosion of a cluster of blood flames, Cheng Yang directly fainted due to his serious injuries.
The fourth representative of the west wing… had lost yet again!!
Chapter 549 - “Mutual Destruction”
The overall strength of the east wing was far stronger than that of the west wing. This was something that everyone knew. But no one thought that the west wing would lose this badly as soon as they got on the stage. The four people that went up there all lost miserably, and the other side only sent out Duke Zihuan, who was still in the arena. He was sweating and panting deeply, but aside from that, only his armor was slightly damaged, and there was no trace of bloodstains on him at all.
The four consecutive wins just now, apparently wasn’t too difficult!
And in the entire east wing, there were more people whose strengths were on par with that of Duke Zihuan, such as Chiyang Yanwu, Bai Jie, Lin Hanchuan, and people who were even stronger than him, such as Helian Ba, the Illusory Demon Seven Scions’ third rank Duke Hui Ye, second rank Duke Yuan Que… and, the one who had already exceeded the others of the young generation, whose power was so terrifying it was abnormal, the head of the Illusory Demon Seven Scions —— Hui Ran!!
This battle, how could it continue to proceed?
Within the west wing, those who originally held the attitude that losing was okay but would absolutely not yield, were heavily influenced at this moment in their heart and mind, and a deep sense of helplessness and desolation emerged.
“Who’s next? Who’s next to battle?”
Duke Zihuan swung his Scarlet Blood Blade, faced the west wing, and yelled insolently. He had really stolen the spotlight today after consecutively defeating the other party’s Guardian Family’s number one and three top-skilled dukes from the same generation as him.
“A four-loss streak, that’s pretty rough,” Yun Che frowned and whispered.
“Mu Hengyi was instantly defeated because he was careless. There was too much difference between the strengths of the three young dukes just now and their opponent, so it was certain that they would lose. However, this Duke Zihuan’s profound strength is already exhausted by over sixty percent, hopefully we can win the next battle,” Yun Qinghong said calmly.
“Patriarch Yun, let me fight this round,” said Yan Family’s Yan Chengkong as he came forward. With four straight losses, there was no doubt that the fifth challenger would have to bear enormous pressure. Because if the west wing lost again, then it would be extremely humiliating, and it would have a huge negative impact to their own reputation. But Yan Chengkong, who was also at the third level of the Tyrant Profound Realm, requested to fight by his own will… Yun Che couldn’t help but give him another look.
The Yan Family’s strength was at the bottom of the Twelve Families, and Yan Chengkong’s strength was also on the bottom of the geniuses in the Twelve Families, but in him, righteousness and assuredness that was inconsistent with his age was revealed.
Yun Qinghong moved his brows and said, “Even though this Zihuan has defeated four of our people consecutively, his energy consumption wasn’t that great… be cautious.”
“Mn,” Yan Chengkong shook his head heavily, and answered with a simple syllable. He then he flew up and landed in the arena.
“Yan Family’s Yan Chengkong, may Duke Zihuan enlighten me!” Yan Chengkong didn’t attack immediately, and instead greeted him graciously.
“Oh, so it’s the Yan Family’s young patriarch.” Duke Zihuan won four battles consecutively, and the arrogance in his heart had been magnified countless times. He took a look at Yan Chengkong, and suddenly burst into laughter, “Hahahaha! This duke thought a decent competitor has finally shown up, but I didn’t expect it would be the Yan Family’s young patriarch, and he’s only a pitiful Tyrant Profound level three. Tsk, tsk, the Yan Family has been at the bottom of the Twelve Families for ten thousand years, but didn’t seem to be too far behind. How come, with your generation, it became this miserable? Looks like the Yan Family is doomed as well.”
“Presumptuous!!”
As soon as Duke Zihuan finished speaking, a shout as loud as a clap of thunder rung, and it shocked Duke Zihuan, making his whole body shudder. His sight went dark, and he almost spat blood. The Little Demon Empress slammed on the armrest of her throne heavily. Her eyebrows, which were shaped like new moons, slanted, and her freezing-cold eyes stared directly at Duke Zihuan. It made his whole body come to a stop. It was as if he was frozen, and he didn’t dare to move at all.
“The Yan Family has guarded my Demon Emperor’s bloodline for ten thousand years. They are loyal, devoted and achieved numerous meritorious contributions. The generations of previous Demon Emperors all respected and valued the Yan Family. You are merely a tiny junior from one of the Duke Palaces, how dare you speak such nonsensical words towards the Yan Family. Who gave you the courage!!”
Duke Zihuan was one of the Illusory Demon Seven Scions, and he had the power enough to look down upon all of the others in his generation, but how could he withstand the anger and momentum of the Little Demon Empress? He was frightened, and his face immediately paled. His body was shaky, and he almost knelt down on the spot.
Within the east wing, Duke Zihuan’s father Duke Zhao hurriedly stood up, bowed and said, “May the Little Demon Empress’s rage subside. My son was merely trying to lower his opponent’s morale, and made an indiscreet remark. He absolutely did not have the intention of disrespecting the Yan Family… Zihuan, hurry up and apologize to the Little Demon Empress and the Yan Family!”
Duke Zihuan promptly said, “Zihuan made an indiscreet remark, and said something I shouldn’t have said. May the Little Demon Empress and everyone from the Yan Family forgive me.”
With four straight losses for the west wing, the Little Demon Empress’ mood naturally wasn’t good. She scoffed softly and her rage finally settled a little, but she didn’t say anything in response as she sat back to her throne and gazed at the center of the arena coldly.
That burst of pressure that was heavy as a mountain finally disappeared. Duke Zihuan was secretly relieved. It was just then that he realized his whole body was covered in cold, wet sweat.
However, Yan Chengkong obviously couldn’t forgive him so easily. He looked calm and peaceful, but his eyes were full of anger. He grabbed his Heavy Profound Spear, pointed the tip at Zihuan’s throat, and said slowly, “Solely based on what you have just said… I bet my, Yan Chengkong’s, lifetime of dignity and honor. Today, I must defeat you under my Yan Family’s Imperious Spear!”
“You?” Duke Zihuan sneered, and said in an extremely deep voice, “Even though I only have forty percent of my strength right now, even if I only had twenty percent left, I could easily step all over you! I will not mention what will happen to your Yan Family, but you, Yan Chengkong, heh, the so-called Yan Family’s ‘number one genius’ of this generation, in the eyes of this duke, you have always been complete trash!”
Yan Chengkong was not angry at all. Instead he sneered and said, “Looks like you have never fought against people from our Yan Family. Even though the level of profound energy of our Yan Family has always been the lowest of the Twelve Families, that is because for generations, our family cultivated our profound energy second, and focused cultivating spears first! Our Yan Family’s greatest pride and wealth is not our family’s profound art, but our Imperious Spear! You will soon know how you’ll end up if you underestimate our Yan Family!!”
“We’re not called the number one Divine Spear Clan of the Illusory Demon Realm… for nothing!!”
Yan Chengkong’s glare became as sharp as the tip of his spear. He swung his arms, and his silver Heavy Profound Spear burst out with lightning speed, like thorns. At that instant, a wave of violent wind swirled up with a sharp roaring sound.
Facing Yan Chengkong’s spear, Duke Zihuan gave a face of disdain. The profound energy of his Scarlet Blood Blade rippled, and he let out a fierce slash accompanied by a blood-red light.
Clang!!
The weapons collided and the deafening sound of metal rang in the hall. Although Duke Zihuan had exhausted half of his strength, in terms of profound energy density, his was still largely above that of Yan Chengkong. Yan Chengkong’s Heavy Profound Spear was reflected off directly and slightly bent by his Scarlet Blood Blade. The corner of Duke Zihuan’s mouth slanted, but before he could make a sneer, the Heavy Profound Spear that was bounced out of the way and bent became like a boneless snake, then pierced directly towards his heart at an unusual angle.
What?!
Duke Zihuan’s heart stuttered as he quickly withdrew. His avoidance was extremely swift, but he was still grazed by the Heavy Profound Spear. He could clearly feel his protective profound energy being severely torn, and it made an extremely harsh ripping sound.
Yan Chengkong’s dominating momentum burst completely at this moment. The Heavy Profound Spear in his hand became like a flexible demon snake. It danced in the sky, filling it with multiple spear shadows, and trapped Duke Zihuan within them. Every prick, smash, thrust, and slash… was all flawlessly on the spot, aimed directly at Duke Zihuan’s weak points and vital spots.
“Good spear technique!” Yun Che exclaimed as he leaned forward. He couldn’t help but be impressed.
Yun Qinghong nodded slowly and said, “It is said, months for staves, years for punches, yet decades to learn spears. The art of the spear is difficult to train and master. If you don’t put in enough hard work, it would be hard to have even a small achievement. The Yan Family is hailed as Illusory Demon Realm’s number one Divine Spear Clan. Their clan’s spear tactics are unpredictable. It could be said that they exerted the power of the spear to the max. Once they are able to handle it effortlessly, they could sweep through everyone under heaven, and even ten thousand soldiers cannot compare to them. They absolutely live up to the name of number one Divine Spear Clan. Even though Yan Chengkong’s profound strength is weaker in comparison, in terms of his skill in the Imperious Spear Arts, he has already entered the highest mastery! Among others of the same level, it is hard for him to meet a worthy foe. With Zihuan’s current state, he can easily win against another peak-level Tyrant Profound Realm, but it is extremely hard for him to win against Yan Chengkong, who is only a mid-stage third level Tyrant Profound Realm.”
The whizzing sound of the spear and the sound of the wind from the spear were piercingly sharp. Duke Zihuan kept increasing his profound energy. The bones in his entire body were making cracking sounds from him using his full power, as he deflected Yan Chengkong’s attacks one after another… but it was only deflecting. He didn’t have a chance to fight back, and the tip of the spear had already roared towards him once again. Just based on the weapon’s characteristics, the spear’s power and range of attack was better than a blade, but the flexibility, speed, and maneuverability were inferior to that of a blade. However, at this moment, the spear shrouding over Duke Zihuan was swift as lightning, and as flexible as a living thing. It forced him several times into a frenzied state.
One had the advantage in profound strength, the other had skills in draconic divine spear techniques. The two of them originally had a large level difference in profound strength, but now they were stalemated in the arena. The weapons collided countless times; space was disturbed for an extended time and it continuously rippled. As the audience in the great hall looked upon this scene, the fight was distorted the whole time. Duke Zihuan couldn’t get rid of Yan Chengkong’s spear shadows throughout the fight, and for the time being, Yan Chengkong also couldn’t really hurt Duke Zihuan.
Among all the Duke Palaces, there were also many who used spears, and Duke Zihuan had gone against many who used a spear as a weapon, but he hadn’t fought against anyone from the Yan Family. He’d never thought the power of the Yan Family’s Imperious Spear was this astonishing. The Heavy Profound Spear in Yan Chengkong’s hands attacked and defended freely according to his will. When he attacked, his spear sprung like the wind and clouds, with its momentum able to swallow mountains and rivers. It made the duke’s movements all seem sluggish, as it suppressed both his blade and flame. When Yan Chengkong defended, it was like placing an iron chain across the river, it was impervious.
The two of them exchanged over a hundred blows, but none of them could do anything to the other. Yan Chengkong was calm and steady throughout, but Duke Zihuan was getting impatient. Before the battle, he mocked Yan Chengkong harshly, even insulted the whole Yan Family, got scolded seriously by the Little Demon Empress, and was humiliated hard. Now, after a hundred exchanges, he still wasn’t able to defeat this person whom he had ridiculed in front of everyone. Instead, he was being suppressed, and he was extremely aggrieved and furious.
Duke Zihuan gritted his teeth, and suddenly roared deeply. The light on his Scarlet Blood Blade intensified, making a fierce ripping sound, tearing up the space… This strike was exactly the same “Blood Flame Strike” that defeated Mu Hengyi before, but because he had already exhausted much of his profound strength, the power of the “Blood Flame Strike” was far weaker than when it defeated Mu Hengyi.
A terrifying force headed towards Yan Chengkong, as he positioned his spear horizontally and entered a defensive stance, causing the power of the Blood Flame Strike to be decreased by seventy percent. At this moment, his eyes were flickering in the attack’s brilliance, but he didn’t retreat and disarm the thirty percent power left of the Blood Flame Strike. Instead, he turned the body of his spear, let the blood-colored reflection of the blade graze his waist, and the Heavy Profound Spear became like a dragon flying out of the seas. It created an unstoppable profound energy storm that passed through the Blood Flame Blade, and stabbed Duke Zihuan viciously on the shoulder… The instant the tip of the spear touched his shoulder, all of the power immediately collected at the spear tip, and passed straight through Duke Zihuan’s protective profound energy and armor.
Pfft!
A splash of blood splattered out from Yan Chengkong’s waist, and the tip of the Heavy Profound Spear was stabbed deep into Duke Zihuan’s shoulder, stuck in between his shoulder blades.
A sense of pain came from his left shoulder, and it, along with the feeling of humiliation, stimulated Duke Zihuan’s ferocious personality. His eyes widened and emitted a radiance of craziness, “Go… to hell!!”
Duke Zihuan’s whole body instantly started burning in blood-red flames, as if he just walked out of a pool of blood… Watching his movements, the Yan Family’s Patriarch, Yan Zijing, was shocked and became pale. He yelled loudly, “Kong’er, dodge it, quick!!”
“Blood Cage Nether Flame!!”
The blood-red flames suddenly burst open, and a terrifying aura shrouded Yan Chengkong as his pupils shrank, but he didn’t choose to abandon his spear and retreat. Instead, he gritted his teeth, and poured all the profound energy he had into the Heavy Profound Spear… The next second, it was as if his chest had been slammed with ten thousand sledgehammers, as he instantly lost consciousness.
Boom!!!
The blood flame exploded, and Yan Chengkong was thrown out backwards into the distance. When he was caught by Yan Zijing in the air, his chest was already torn and bloody. But Yan Chengkong wasn’t the only one who was thrown out backwards in the blood flame. In the instant that the blood flame exploded, the Heavy Profound Spear that Yan Chengkong poured the last of his powers into, pierced directly through Duke Zihuan’s shoulder, and poked open a real, transparent hole. The rest of his power pounded Duke Zihuan high up in the air, causing him to crash into the east wing with his blood sprinkling all over… That Heavy Profound Spear fiercely pierced the seats in the east wing, without any hint of blood on its surface.
“Chengkong!”
“Zihuan!”
Both sides were extremely shocked. None of them thought that the two of them who were originally at stalemate would meet such a tragic outcome in a single instant. To ignite those streaks of blood flames, Duke Zihuan did not hesitate to exhaust his entire body’s profound strength, and his body was pierced through with a transparent hole. It was impossible for him to continue fighting. But Yan Chengkong was no better than him; the front of his flesh was all torn, and his internal organs were all shifted. If it weren’t for his strong willpower, he would have been unconscious already. However, it was impossible for him to continue fighting.
This battle, Yan Chengkong and Duke Zihuan had achieved “mutual destruction”.
“Brothers of the Under Heaven Clan, thank you for your help!” Facing the heavily injured Yan Chengkong, Yan Zijing was fairly calm.
“Don’t worry, with us here, your son will definitely be alright,” two Elders from the Under Heaven Clan said as they nodded. They reached out their palms, and a dark green light shrouded Yan Chengkong’s wounds.
Under the natural healing power of the elven race, even though Yan Chengkong’s injuries were serious, they quickly stabilized. He took a deep breath, and said with shame, “Father, your child’s cultivation was too immature… I let you down…”
“Don’t blame yourself.” Yan Zijing said reassuringly, “After all, Zihuan is ranked fourth in the Illusory Demon Seven Scions. There’s a huge gap between you and him. To have such a result, Father is already very proud of you. Concentrate and calm down now, don’t talk anymore.”
Duke Zihuan was finally defeated, but none of the expressions on anyone from the west wing eased up in the slightest. Because it took five people for them just to beat Duke Zihuan.
“Sigh, the difference in strength between the two sides is too great.” Many in the hall were sighing.
“Yes, I don’t understand why the Yun Family accepted the challenge… Even though they would rather lose the battle than lose their dignity, when losing this miserably, what dignity is left?”
“There’s also a Su Family. I heard that Su Zhizhan from the Su Family is one of the best in the Twelve Families’ young generations. He should be able to recover some disadvantages.”
“Come on, Helian Ba from the Helian Family, second and third rankers of the Illusory Demon Seven Scions Duke Hui Ye and Duke Yuan Que, none of them are weaker than Su Zhizhan. And first rank Duke Hui Ran… it’s not exaggerated at all to say that just his strength alone is enough to beat the twelve people from the other party single-handedly!” a citizen of Demon Imperial City stated while he shook his head.
Chapter 550 - Zhizhan’s Last Stand
Clap, clap, clap…
Duke Huai stood up as he clapped and he said while laughing, “Marvelous, that was truly a marvelous battle. I would never have thought that in this series of contests, there would actually be a scenario where both contestants would defeat each other. It is truly exciting to the point where this duke simply could not have imagined it. However…”
Duke Huai looked directly at Yun Qinghong and laughed, “Are you sure your side still wants to continue? You have gone through roughly half of your representatives just to take down one of ours. This result is truly regrettable and this duke simply does not feel at ease continuing this contest any longer. However, from this duke’s understanding of Patriarch Yun, no matter how ugly Patriarch Yun’s loss turns out to be, he will still resolutely soldier on, correct?”
“Hahahaha,” Yun Qinghong also started laughing, “Duke Huai, you truly understand this Yun well. However, your words are seriously puerile and ridiculous. Our contest has merely just begun, but you have already asserted that we have lost. Isn’t it a bit too early to say that?!”
“Hahaha!” Duke Huai let out three great laughs, “Ah this truly sounds like the words that you, Yun Qinghong, would say! Then let this duke clearly see where your confidence comes from, Yun Qinghong! But what this duke really wants to see is how much longer your arrogance can last… Wen Bo, you are our side’s second representative, so you’re up next.”
The words “second representative” was heavily emphasized by Duke Huai and the mockery in his tone could be heard by all. As his voice fall, a tall and big young man flew up in the air and landed in the arena.
Illusory Demon Seven Scions’ rank five —— Duke Wen Bo! And just like Duke Zihuan before him, he was also at the Tyrant Profound Realm level five.
And from the west wing, another person immediately took the air as well and he landed in front of Duke Wen Bo. This person was also the strongest person sent out by the west wing so far —— Also amongst the Illusory Demon Seven Scions, the sixth ranked Duke Yong Yi!
Both people belonged to the Illusory Demon Royal Family and both of them were also part of the Illusory Demon Seven Scions, so their strengths were not far apart. This was in addition to the fact that they had often dueled many times and had also gotten used to each other’s Golden Crow Flames and profound arts. So the battle between the two of them was exceptionally ferocious as they fell into a stalemate, and it was only after thirty minutes of battle that the winner was finally decided… Duke Wen Bo barely scraped a victory while Duke Yong Yi fell in defeat!
The west wing lost once again! And they were caught in the miserable scenario where they were at five losses and one draw.
Even though Duke Wen Bo had won, all of his moves and hidden cards had been played. He had sustained many wounds in battle, and his profound energy had been greatly exhausted. So in the seventh contest that followed, he fell to a young duke from the west wing who still found him rather challenging.
The eighth match: West wing’s Duke He Song versus the Lin Family’s Lin Hanchuan —— It was Lin Hanchuan’s complete victory!
The ninth match: West wing’s Duke Jia Rong versus the Lin Family’s Lin Hanchuan —— Lin Hanchuan wins yet again!
At this point, the west wing where the Yun Family was at had a record of one win, one draw and seven losses! And there were only four people left who were still eligible for battle.
The tenth match: Illusory Demon Seven Scions’ rank seven: Duke Yu Palace’s Duke Ying Nan versus Lin Hanchuan —— Duke Ying Nan wins!
The eleventh match: Duke Ying Nan versus Nangong Family’s Nangong Yan —— Duke Ying Nan achieved a pyrrhic victory. And while the west wing had finally won two consecutive victories for the first time after their last two fights, not a single person from the west wing had an expression of joy on their face. Even though Ying Nan had won, he had completely exhausted his strength, so he was bound to lose the following match. And at that time, the west wing would be down to three people, while the other side would still have eight. Moreover, the other side’s elite four had not even shown their faces yet.
The twelfth match: Duke Ying Nan versus Bai Family’s Bai Jie —— It was undoubtedly Bai Jie’s complete victory!
The west wing was only left with three competitors: Su Zhizhan, Number Six Under Heaven and the Yun Family’s unknown representative.
In the thirteenth match, Number Six Under Heaven took the stage. The elven race possessed the strong ability to use profound bows while having abundant innate talent, but the nature of their profound energy determined that their attack power would not be too high. Moreover, as contests of this nature took place within a confined boundary of an arena, the strength of their profound bows would also be greatly restricted. So once it was Number Six Under Heaven’s turn, he would be subject to an immediate and irreversible disadvantage and despite struggling bitterly, the miracle of the weaker triumphing over the stronger did not occur. He was defeated by Bai Jie.
So far, the two sides had fought thirteen matches and the west wing had lost ten representatives while the east side had lost a mere four. And besides Bai Jie, who was currently representing the east, they still had seven other young elites who had yet to battle. Among these young elites were the Xiao Family’s Xiao Donglai and the Jiufang Family’s Jiufang Yu who were at the Tyrant Profound Realm level four, the Chiyang Family’s Chiyang Yanwu who was at the Tyrant Profound Realm level five, the Helian Family’s Helian Ba who was at the Tyrant Profound Realm level six and the ones ranked number two and number three among the Illusory Demon Seven Scions, Duke Yuan Qiao and Duke Hui Ye who were also at the Tyrant Profound Realm level six.
There was still even the head of the Illusory Demon Seven Scions, Hui Ran, whose profound strength had actually reached the astonishing level of Tyrant Profound Realm level eight!
The other side was only left with Su Zhizhan who was at the Tyrant Profound Realm level six. As for the Yun Family, they did not even have any proper candidates to send out because among their young generation, the strongest was only at the Tyrant Profound Realm level two.
This contest between both sides did not have any suspense even from the start and no one felt that the current scenario was the least bit odd. In fact, everyone felt that the side the Yun Family was on had just lost in a much too miserable fashion.
The various great powers within Demon Imperial City gave silent sigh. This was only a competition between the young generation of both factions, and even though it could not be indicative of their true strength, it was clearly sufficient to demonstrate just how dominant Duke Huai’s faction was; and his faction possessed a strength that completely suppressed their opposition! And this contest which was deliberately arranged by Duke Huai was arranged with two goals in mind. The first goal was to drive out the Yun Family; the second goal was to use pure strength to oppress and cruelly destroy the other faction’s presence, to grind the dignity and prestige of the other faction, the Little Demon Empress included, completely under their heel.
And once the Yun Family had been expelled, the Little Demon Empress would not have the ability to contend with Duke Huai anymore. Once that happened, Duke Huai would only need an opportunity, whether natural or manufactured, to usurp this Illusory Demon World Demon Emperor’s throne…
The faces of all the people on the west wing were shrouded in a cloud of gloom. Once Number Six Under Heaven had lost to Bai Jie, they only had two people left that were eligible to do battle and realistically in their hearts, it was akin to only having one person left. This was because the Yun Family really did not have a single person among their young generation who was up to task.
“Ah.” Su Xiangnan slowly let out a sigh. He patted Su Zhizhan on the shoulder as he said, “Zhizhan, the conclusion has already been reached and our defeat as already been determined… In fact, it has been determined from the very start. It’s your turn now. Whether we can get back any of our dignity is now up to you and you alone.”
“I understand but not matter the result, I will definitely give it my best shot!”
After he had finished speaking, Su Zhizhan grabbed his weapon and soared into the sky, landing in front of Bai Jie who had just won over Number Six Under Heaven. He pointed his sword straight and the aura that radiated out from him was incomparably rich and strong. He did not even show one hint of weaknesses in regards to the great failure of his own faction as he declared, “Su Family’s Su Zhizhan presents himself! I have never been willing to cross swords with a woman, so it would be better if you simply surrendered and got off this stage.”
He faced Bai Jie, who was clothed in white and had a figure that was taller than most women. Her face was flushed red and she faintly showed signs of tiredness as it was made clear that her recent battle with Number Six Under Heaven was not easy at all. But upon hearing Su Zhizhan’s words, she let out a cold laugh and said mockingly, “Your side has lost in a completely miserable manner so I don’t really know where you are getting the nerve to speak so arrogantly from. And right now, you especially don’t have the right to look down on us women.”
“Ah, no, I think you’re mistaken there,” Su Zhizhan said softly as he gave an extremely contemptuous laugh, “I, Su Zhizhan, will definitely never look down on women, I only… look down on ungrateful and traitorous women who are no better than mongrels!”
“You’re courting death!” Those venomous words caused Bai Jie to erupt in fury and her jade sword exploded forward. In an instant, the shadow of an enormous white tiger appeared behind her. The image of this white tiger roared at the heavens and the sound of its roar spread through all four corners of the great hall, causing it to tremble. And in that instance, a strong gale rose up and surged violently. This howling gale was sufficient enough to suppress the roar of the white tiger and the arena seemed to be engulfed in thousands upon thousands of windstorms.
“It’s the Bai Family’s Tiger Roar Domain!”
Bai Jie’s domain instantly radiated outwards to envelop the entire arena. Su Zhizhan’s hair and clothes were flying wildly as the wind howled all around him. However, his body was nailed to the ground, unmoving. Then, he raised the longsword in his hand and attacked, his sword sweeping forward.
Within Bai Jie’s domain, besides herself, the strength and speed of every other person would be heavily restricted, but the speed of Su Zhizhan’s sword was still as swift as a bolt of lightning. The might of his sword swept away all of the violent hurricanes around him as a huge tear was immediately formed in Bai Jie’s domain. Su Zhizhan sprang forward and every step he took tore a rip in Bai Jie’s domain.
“The Bai Family and Su Family both use the sword as their weapon and they both cultivate wind attribute profound strength. Bai Jie’s and Su Zhizhan’s profound strength is not too far apart, but in terms of their understanding of the laws and nature of wind profound energy, Su Zhizhan is vastly superior to Bai Jie, so her domain does not pose any threat to him at all.” Yun Qinghong said in an admiring voice.
At this time, Su Zhizhan had already reached Bai Jie’s side, and the body of his sword surged with a dull green wind spiral. This wind spiral may have been infinitesimally small compared to the huge domain of howling winds but nevertheless, it was strong enough to push aside all of the howling winds surrounding it.
Riip!!
Su Zhizhan’s straight thrust violently tore apart the domain in front of him. Bai Jie also raised her jade sword and blocked Su Zhizhan’s sword with a loud clank. Immediately, she felt her arm go numb and an acute pain lanced through the flesh joining her thumb and her forefinger. Her body swiftly flew backwards and her jade sword almost flew out of her hand.
Even if she was at full strength, she would not be Su Zhizhan’s match, much less right now, when she had already exhausted a good portion of her profound strength.
Su Zhizhan did not give her any breathing room; his body flicked as he instantly pressed forward. His body was like a howling gale and his sword was like a thunderbolt; every slash was accompanied by a howling noise that practically tore the eardrums. The wind spiral on his sword was also expanding rapidly, and after Bai Jie had crossed swords with him continously, her arm was completely numbed. Her tightly gripped right hand was already stained with blood from the torn webbing between her finger and thumb, even her cheeks were scored with several long wounds that were inflicted by his sword wind.
“You dare to harm my face… I will definitely not let you off!!”
Bai Jie only noticed the pain on her face once she felt it and this caused her to react like a tiger who had its tail stepped on. She instantly went berserk and roared in fury. The huge figure of a white tiger once again appeared behind her as a whirlwind that was more than thirty meters tall surged up all around her. Su Zhizhan’s eyes flashed and he unexpectedly jumped into the midst of Bai Jie’s whirlwind. He did not wait for her to unleash her all-out attack, but instead slapped his sword across her waist.
This whip of his sword produced an incomparably loud and extremely clear ring. The whirlwind that was still forming around Bai Jie’s body vanished in an instant. Her entire body spun wildly about like a violently spinning top and she flew directly out of the arena.
“Ah, women, no matter how strong they are, they still can’t accomplish anything big.” Su Zhizhan stood where he originally was and sombrely shook his head as he mumbled to he muttered to himself.
Bai Jie collapsed to the ground as she had been turned topsy-turvy. Her jade sword had also flown off to some unknown location.
“Su Zhizhan… I… I’m going to have it out with you!!”
In front of all the heroes of the realm, a slap of her opponent’s sword had sent her flying. As the strongest member of the Bai Family in her generation and one of the most prominent talented women in the entire Illusory Demon Realm, she had never suffered such humiliation before. She hefted her sword once more and with a yell, gathered herself as she prepared to rush Su Zhizhan.
“That is enough.”
Bai Jie’s charging figure suddenly stopped as an invisible energy barrier appeared before her, not letting her move an inch forward. The Bai Family’s Patriarch Bai Yi stood up and restrained Bai Jie, saying, “You have already lost… In front of all who are present, what kind of behavior is this?!”
It was only then that Bai Jie realized she had already fallen outside the arena limits. She grit her teeth and shot Su Zhizhan a fierce look, but she could only obediently return to her seat after that.
Chapter 551 - Su Zhizhan VS Helian Ba
Su Zhizhan had defeated Bai Jie; this conclusion was not unexpected in the least. He had cleanly defeated Bai Jie without stretching the fight out, and he clearly managed to preserve most of his profound strength. He stood in the middle of the arena and looked at the east wing seats. Without waiting for a representative to come forth, he raised his sword, pointed it directly at someone who was sitting among the Helian Clan, and said in a clear and haughty voice, “Helian Ba, do you dare to come out for a match?!”
This was the first time since this contest had begun that someone had directly challenged an opponent. And the one whom Su Zhizhan challenged was actually the other person who was also termed as the strongest of Twelve Families’ young generation, Helian Ba!
Su Zhizhan was extremely clear that in this contest, the side he represented was undoubtedly going to suffer a crushing defeat. And in order to get back some of their pride, the best method was to defeat the one who was vying with him for dominance at the top, Helian Ba, and clearly stake his claim on the title of number one!
Under the expectant gazes of all who were present and being challenged by a rival who was equal to him in both fame and ability, it was only natural for Helian Ba to rise to the occasion. Because even if he did not want to, he would have to or else the whole world would think that he was scared of Su Zhizhan. He stood up without a hint of hesitation, flew to the spot in front of Su Zhizhan and graced him with a cold smile, “Su Zhizhan, it looks like you want to bring this contest to a swift conclusion so you can scram back to your seat with your tail between your legs. If that’s the case, I definitely will not disappoint you.”
“The one who’s going to scram is you.” Su Zhizhan interjected coldly.
“Haha!” Helian Ba grinned from ear to ear, “The only thing that’s impressive are your words, you pitiful loser. Ah, to think that you are actually as famous as me, Helian Ba. Woe is me. Hm, you have just fought a match with Bai Jie so you have definitely exerted yourself, even if it is just a little bit. Tsk, tsk, don’t worry, I, Helian Ba, will not take advantage of you in any way. I will give you fifteen minutes to recover because I do not want anyone to doubt my victory over you! Because there can only be one true… number one.”
“There is no need.” Su Zhizhan’s gaze grew cold and he gave a contemptuous bark, “Equals? Perhaps I could still accept that in the past, but right now, you are not worthy! To compare me, Su Zhizhan, to an ungrateful and traitorous mongrel like you, it’s simply the greatest form of humiliation! Why would I need any rest to beat down a mere lackey like you?!”
Su Xiangnan had always been upright and principled. Even though his son was filled with arrogance, he had inherited his father’s traits completely in this point: He was filled with an extreme revulsion and disgust at the betrayal of the seven great Families and the various Duke Palaces.
Helian Ba’s face instantly grew dark, and he said, “I had originally wanted to give you some leeway, but you asked for it!”
“Hmph!” Su Zhizhan gave a cold snort and couldn’t be bothered to speak any further. He tightened the grip on his sword and slowly advanced forward with a gaze as cold as ice. His body began to emit a strong sword force as squalls of wind started to quickly circulate around him. With every step he took, the howling winds increasingly raged, as his sword force grew more and more boundless. After he had taken ten steps, countless of sword shadows danced amidst the great storm.
“This is the Su Family’s ‘Stellar Wind Sword Domain’.” Yun Qinghong explained to Yun Che, “It is the final form of the Su Family’s ‘Divine Wind Sword Domain’, it combines strong winds with sword force and its killing power is extremely strong. Once the weak are pulled into this domain, they will be broken into tiny pieces. If Su Zhizhan is going to display his Stellar Wind Sword Domain right off the bat, it means that he has resolved to go all out.”
With a roar of thunder, a jet-black sword had appeared in Helian Ba’s hand. Lightning crackled all over the black blade as a domain of jet-black lightning began to slowly radiate forth from his body. But before this domain could fully form, a gust of wind hissed in his face and Su Zhizhan dashed forward, quick as a flash of lightning. Both swords clashed in the air as both domains also instantly collided together and intersected.
Bang, bang, boom, boom, boom!!
In the blink of an eye, both people had already exchanged tens of blows. Su Zhizhan’s sword strokes filled the air and it looked like an entire galaxy of stars was falling to the earth, while Helian Ba’s black sword thrashed about like a raging flood dragon. The two powerful domains tore at each other like a pair of mad beasts, struggling to tear and devour the other. The match between Su Zhizhan and Helian Ba had quickly reached the boiling point.
The profound strength of both contestants also began to swiftly rise as they engaged in fierce combat, gradually rising to peak levels after they had finished their initial probing strikes. As wind howled and thunder roared, the match had already gone through hundreds of rounds as both Su Zhizhan and Helian Ba were locked together in a crazy and frenetic battle, but neither could overpower the other. Their domains kept shrinking and expanding crazily at the same time while the sword energy, wild gales and galloping lightning had even extended beyond the arena. If it wasn’t for the powerful families and Duke Palaces who used their profound strength to form a barrier around the arena, the entire great hall would have been swallowed up by the mass of sword energy, wind and lightning.
“How… How powerful, are they really a part of the… young generation?” A few of the youths who were visiting Demon Imperial City for the first time had long become stunned into insensibility. Being able to qualify to attend this Hundred Year Reign Ceremony, naturally meant they were the best of the best within their own territories. But the fight before them completely and utterly demolished any arrogance or self-confidence they had possessed before. Even though they had always known Demon Imperial City possessed the highest level of profound strength within the entire Illusory Demon Realm, they had never dreamed that the difference was actually this huge.
These two were clearly around the same age as the rest of them, but when they all compared their own ability to the two, it was literally the difference between heaven and earth! Even their most respected and admired seniors did not nearly possess this kind of strength.
“This is the true strength of the Twelve Guardian Families.” An old practitioner said as he sighed deeply in admiration.
“Within the Guardian Families, becoming an Overlord before thirty is the bare minimum standard. From where we come from, to be able to have a Monarch is something that will garner the admiration of everyone around us and is worthy of one thousand years of glory. But in the Twelve Guardian Families, a Monarch is merely one of the qualifications required to be an Elder. Especially the Yun Family of one hundred years ago… Just counting the high level Monarchs who were at least at at the seventh level of the Sovereign Profound Realm, there were already a whole eleven people!”
At these words, all these youths were simply struck dumb and no one uttered a single word for a long time.
Su Zhizhan’s sword was as fast as flowing light and the howling wind sword beams fell like torrential rain. In comparison, Helian Ba’s sword was slower, but it was extremely strong and ferocious; every stroke of Helian Ba’s sword was enough to shatter several sword beams that Su Zhizhan shot out.
Su Zhizhan’s face had been calm and frozen from start to finish, but Helian Ba’s face became more and more twisted, because the Su Zhizhan that was before him was practically a madman; every move and every stroke he made seemed to be directed at a bitter enemy who owed him a huge debt of blood. Ninety percent of his profound energy was focused on offense and only ten percent was to used for defense. Under this kind of reckless and life-endangering fighting style, even though none of the combatants had suffered serious injuries, as they were caught in the midst of the criss-crossing and devastating Stellar Wind Sword Domain and Exploding Lightning Domain, Su Zhizhan’s body had already been charred black, while sword winds carved more than one hundred bloody wounds into Helian Ba’s body, turning his breastplate into a beehive since long ago.
Boom!!!
After a heavy attack, both combatants’ domains collapsed simultaneously. Su Zhizhan and Helian Ba shot out like two cannonballs, then landed in two separate corners of the arena. Helian Ba landed on the ground, his profound energy leaking, as the hundred wounds on his body immediately started gushed blood, dying his clothes and most of his body red. Even though they were all small wounds, such a large amount of blood was enough to cause him to go berserk. He gritted his teeth, stretched out his hands to viciously tear off the clothes on his body, and roared, “Su Zhizhan… Are you really looking for a quick death?!”
Similarly, Su Zhizhan’s body was covered with wounds. While both of them had battled fiercely in the intermingled wind and lightning domains, it was only after they had separated that the audience noticed their wound covered bodies, and realized that the two were not engaged in a fierce battle… it would be better termed as a bitter struggle! Even though neither of the two had suffered any serious injuries, their crazy fight had struck fear into the hearts of the audience.
Su Zhizhan didn’t seem like he was in a competition, it looked as if he was putting his life on the line.
Because this was a fight he definitely could not lose.
“Why? Are you scared of death?” Su Zhizhan asked as he coldly laughed.
Frankly speaking, Helian Ba was indeed a little bit scared because any sensible person would be scared of a maniac who was putting his life on the line. His face became dark and sinister, as his heart became patient no longer. He roared in a low voice, “Since you want to die… let me fulfill your heart’s desire!”
As his voice fell, Helian Ba gripped his sword in both hands. The black sword immediately buzzed as lightning began to revolve around it. In an instant, the space surrounding the black sword suddenly began to distort, and even Helian Ba himself was caught in this fiercely distorted space, as the ghastly ripples of distorted space surged in every direction.
The aura emitted by this sword caused the complexion of every person within the great hall to faintly change.
“Su Zhizhan, did you really think that you had the right to be called the strongest along with me?!” Helian Ba’s body had also distorted as space rippled all around him. An oppressive aura which seemed to overturn the heavens engulfed the arena and the great hall; even the surrounding sources of light seemed to go dim. He didn’t release his lightning domain; only a mild halo of lightning covered the body of his sword, but the deafening sound of thunder which seemed to come out from nowhere rang through the entire great hall, “The heavens have bestowed upon our Nine-headed Demon Snake Clan a strong profound lighting and a rock-solid body that you humans can never compare with! And under this sword, you are only fit to bend your head and kneel!!”
“Scram!!”
Helian Ba’s voice exploded as he leaped high into the air. In midair, his body shimmered and the image of huge snake suddenly materialized. The huge snake had nine heads and all nine heads howled at the sky. Then, the mouths of all the heads opened wide, as they rushed down to bite Su Zhizhan at the same time. In the next instant, these nine snake heads suddenly disappeared, and morphed into nine Helian Ba’s that simultaneously slashed their swords towards Su Zhizhan.
“Netherworld Lightning Emperor Slash!! Helian Ba could actually use this move, and to top it all off, it is the complete Netherworld Lightning Emperor Slash!” The Yan Family’s Patriarch Yan Zijing stood up abruptly as he said in an alarmed voice, “This was not an attack that can be executed at the sixth level of the Tyrant Profound Realm, Su Zhizhan is in real danger now…”
He turned his head to look at Su Xiangnan, but he discovered that he was still seated in his seat. While the look on his face was grave, it seemed to not be anxious.
As a boundless aura descended from above, everyone the great hall felt a deep feeling of suffocation. Those who had a comparatively weaker profound strength paled, as they felt like their chest was about to crack open… If the effect that this attack had on the audience who were on the fringes of the battlefield was already this horrifying, the power that this sword held was simply unfathomable.
Su Zhizhan raised his head and looked at the nine swiftly descending figures with apathetic eyes. The Stellar Wind Sword Domain soundlessly rose up, then swiftly spread out.
“What the heck is Su Zhizhan doing?! Shouldn’t he be preparing to either defend or dodge? What is he opening that Stellar Wind Sword Domain for?!”
Su Zhizhan turned a deaf ear to all of the yelling around him. Right when the Stellar Wind Sword Domain had made contact with Helian Ba’s descending figure and was promptly torn asunder by his black sword, both of Su Zhizhan’s eyes emitted a cold flash of light. The sword in his hand abruptly flew out of his hand, floated in front of him, and then began to spin at a great speed. A huge vortex of wind swiftly formed as the sword continued to spin rapidly, growing bigger and bigger…
“Divine… Wind… Sword!!”
These three words were slowly and deliberately spoken by Su Zhizhan in a deep and low voice. Just when Helian Ba’s black sword was only five meters away from the top of his head, both his hands abruptly pushed forward. The longsword brought the huge vortex of wind along with it as it suddenly flew out… and it aimed directly for one of the nine figures that Helian Ba had manifested.
“What?!” Helian Ba’s heart leaped in fear. The nine figures he had manifested were naturally not all real because even though his original body was that of a Nine-headed Demon Snake, with his original body having nine heads, it definitely did not mean that he could manifest nine bodies. And of these nine images, only one was real; the other eight were just there to disrupt his opponents senses and state of mind.
Yet Su Zhizhan’s sword was flying in the direction of his real body!
“Ah, that’s how it is. He used the Stellar Wind Sword Domain to probe which was one of the images was Helian Ba’s true body.” Yun Che said in understanding, “This sword domain is very different from normal domains. Not only does it need the support of profound energy, it also needs the infusion of strong sword intent, and from the feedback he obtained when all nine Helian Ba’s made contact with the sword intent infused within this sword domain, Su Zhizhan instantly figured out which one was the true body.”
Chapter 552 - Nine Emperor Dragon Poison
“Hmph.” After Helian Ba overcame his brief moment of shock, he began to laugh wildly, “So what if you know where my real body is? This sword of mine, even if you have ten more years, you still won’t be able to meet it…”
Helian Ba had not finished speaking when his face suddenly changed color, because the sword that was shooting towards him did not slow down in the slightest despite the oppressive aura being emitted by his Netherworld Lightning Emperor Slash. The sword sliced through the layers of profound energy around him like a hot knife through butter, bringing a whirlwind that seemed to beckon the end of days as it stabbed directly towards his body.
Boom!!!
Sword met sword in a midair collision and the power of wind and lightning erupted at the same time. In that instant, it was as though two mountains had collided together; the world shook as violent winds howled. It was as if all the air currents in the area had been cleaved apart by a boundlessly tyrannical profound energy stream and the entire Demon Imperial Hall had become a complete vacuum in the span of five breaths.
In the center of the crazy and unrestrained vortex of wind and lightning profound energy, two swords clashed together like two flood dragons attempting to tear each other apart amidst the ocean waves, letting out a series of extremely ear-piercing rings as metal crashed against metal.
Su Zhizhan stood below and both of his hands were raised rigidly above his head. Even though his sword had left his hand, it was still entirely under his control. Meanwhile, Helian Ba’s body stopped in midair and his black sword had been completely stonewalled by Su Zhizhan blade. He actually could not force it to descend another inch. Helian Ba’s eyes widened as he struggled, not believing the scene that was unfolding before his eyes, “This isn’t possible… It isn’t possible… This sword… How were you able to block it?!!”
“Heh… Heh heh…” Su Zhizhan laughed, because at this moment he had already seen the conclusion of this fight, “Helian Ba, did you think you were the only one who had an ace up his sleeve?! The many times I had sparred with you before, I had never used my full strength once… Because you are not worthy!!”
Both of Su Zhizhan’s hands fiercely thrust upwards and in a split second, Helian Ba felt the power which was rushing towards him suddenly spike. His black sword was viciously pushed aside and the profound energy protecting him was easily cleaved apart as an unbelievably huge force smashed into his chest.
“Scram!!”
Boom!!
A piercing cry split the air as the black sword in Helian Ba’s hand broke in two and flew out of his hand in two different directions. Meanwhile, Helian Ba’s body fell like a kite which had its string cut and flew towards the west wing. Despite this, the sword carrying the terrifying whirlwind did not continue chasing after him, instead it shot upwards, making a giant arc in the air before descending and falling in front of Su Zhizhan. The wind around the sword had almost completely dissipated as well.
Helian Kuang flew out and caught Helian Ba in midair. Helian Ba’s breastplate was shattered and a bloody hole that was half a foot long was carved into his chest. Helian Kuang took a glance at Helian Ba’s wounds and coldly eyed Su Xiangnan as he declared in an icy voice, “Su Xiangnan, you have indeed raised an exceptional son, he has managed to learn the Divine Wind Sword at such a tender age.”
“Haha, as everyone has plainly seen, he is indeed quite a bit better than Brother Helian’s son. And it would simply be impolite for this Su to refuse the compliment given by Brother Helian.” Su Xiangnan said in a bemused voice as he chuckled.
“You!” Helian Kuang’s face grew dark and he suppressed the urge to let loose a torrent of abuse with much difficulty. Meanwhile, Helian Ba, who was still in his father’s arms, began to struggle and he said, “How… could I lose to him! This is not possible… I want to… compete with him again…”
“That is enough!” Helian Kuang yelled in a low voice, “Your technique was not up to par, so your loss was not the least bit unjustified. It has been made clear that Su Zhizhan has always been concealing a part of his strength, so even if you fought him another ten times, you would still lose! Hmph, let’s just let them grow complacent with this win… This is the last thing they will be able to be pleased with after all.”
For the first time, the west wing rang out in applause. The west wing which had been completely suppressed had finally been able to catch a break following the victory Su Zhizhan achieved over Helian Ba. But how could Su Zhizhan attain an easy victory when he was matched against the person who was deemed his equal? He was not only covered in wounds, he had also exhausted close to ninety percent of his profound energy. As the cheers rang out from the rest, he half-knelt to the ground and it was only after the cheers began to die down that he slowly got up and lifted his beloved sword once more.
“Who’s next?!”
The sword gripped in Su Zhizhan’s hand faintly trembled; this was the reaction of muscles which had undergone an extremely heavy strain. However, Su Zhizhan’s voice still rang out steadily and his imposing aura did not weaken in the slightest.
Helian Ba covered the wound on his chest and his gaze directly sought out Jiufang Yu, who was seated in the middle of the Jiufang Family. After noticing his gaze, Jiufang Yu immediately shot a look back at him, because once he had met Helian Ba’s eyes, he had come to a complete understanding.
Helian Ba’s extreme rage and bitterness had clearly conveyed a single message to him: Avenge me… by crippling him!
Jiufang Yu stood up and leaped into the arena. He stood in front of Su Zhizhan and said in a merry voice, “Jiufang Family’s Jiufang Yu is here, I hope Brother Su will give me a few tips.”
Duke Huai was in the midst of contemplating who he would send out to clear away the spent force Su Zhizhan, when he suddenly saw Jiufang Yu take the initiative to get on stage. His eyes narrowed as a mirthful chuckle rose silently in his throat.
Upon seeing Jiufang Yu take the stage, Su Xiangnan, who had been completely calm when Su Zhizhan was battling Helian Ba, abruptly stood up as his eyebrows tightened fiercely. He swiftly transmitted a message, “Zhizhan, be careful!”
Jiufang Yu’s profound strength was not too high as he was only at the Tyrant Profound Realm level four. But the truly terrifying thing about the Jiufang Clan was that their Family’s profound art was a horrifying poison art! And their original form was that of a Nine Headed Poison Dragon! This Jiufang Yu also possessed an extremely rare form of dragon poison from birth, the “Nine Emperor Venom Body” that only appeared in the Jiufang Clan once every four thousand years. If one was poisoned by the venom he carried in his body, even a low level Monarch would have some difficulty expunging it from their body; this point was something everyone in Demon Imperial City knew.
Within the entire Demon Imperial City, there were extremely few people who dared to cross fists with a member of the Jiufang Family.
“Brother Su, you were truly magnificent just now.” Jiufang Yu spoke in a whisper that only Su Zhizhan could hear, “However, I would advise you to immediately surrender right now. You should know what outcome awaits you if you end up in my hands.”
“Cut the crap!” Su Zhizhan slashed his sword, “I, Su Zhizhan have never been afraid of anyone in this life. And you are definitely not worthy!”
The corner of Jiufang Yu’s mouth crooked upwards. Su Zhizhan was famous for having a contemptuous and haughty personality, so he would definitely never take the initiative to do such a thing like surrendering. He took out his weapon… a dark green longsword, and he said in a voice that was not fast nor slow, “Then you mustn’t blame me for not giving you a chance!”
“Shut your mouth!!”
Su Zhizhan flung his arm out and his longsword abruptly flew out with a howl. Shockingly, the tip of the sword was directed at Jiufang Yu’s throat and icy aura flew straight at his throat. This caused Jiufang Yu to immediately break out in cold sweat as he panickedly dodged and swung his dark green longsword, batting Su Zhizhan’s blade aside. He cursed silently in his heart: This madman!
If it was Su Zhizhan at the peak of his strength, Jiufang Yu would not have been able to send his sword flying with such ease. But right now, Jiufang Yu had not even used sixty percent of his power and he had almost caused Su Zhizhan’s to lose control of his sword. Su Zhizhan gritted his teeth silently and recalled the sword to his hand. As he leapt forward, wild wind and sword energy gathered around him. All the profound energy in his body rushed out unreservedly and he stabbed straight towards Jiufang Yu.
After he had tasted Su Zhizhan’s most recent sword strike, most of Jiufang Yu’s worries were put to rest. He advanced a step and his sword smashed forward… He firmly believed, that given Su Zhizhan’s present condition, he would definitely not be his match in a direct clash of strength.
Bang!
Both swords clashed together and profound energy ripples began to spread out to the surrounding area. Su Zhizhan’s upper body swayed back and forth and the sword in his hand bent substantially; it was clear for all to see that he had clearly lost out in this clash of swords… He originally had the profound strength of Tyrant Profound Realm level six, but right now, in the first clash of arms with Jiufang Yu who was merely at the Tyrant Profound Realm level four, he was clearly at a disadvantage. This clearly indicated just how much the battle with Helian Ba had exhausted him.
But even his present condition would not cause Su Zhizhan to retreat half a step. The bones in his arms made crisp sounds but instead of advancing, he moved backwards and tens of sword shadows filled the air in an instant as they thrust straight towards Jiufang Yu’s vital points… Jiufang Yu’s eyes were dazzled but he also did not retreat. Instead, he didn’t even look up and simply swept his sword forward… The level of Su Zhizhan’s wind sword had reached the pinnacle of perfection, but without strong profound energy to support them, they had all the menace of a little kitten!
Clang!!
A huge force accompanied his sword stroke and Su Zhizhan’s sword and hands were viciously smashed aside as his body reeled backwards. Jiufang Yu’s eyes flashed and a sinister smile flashed across his face as well. His body suddenly surged forward, carrying a moss-green smoke that swept past Su Zhizhan’s side. Within this moss-green smoke, the figure of a jade green Nine Headed Flood Dragon also flashed by…
Not only was the protective layer of profound energy around Su Zhizhan exceptionally weak, he was also wounded all over, so this green smoke easily penetrated the protective layer of profound energy around him and passed through his wounds to invade his bloodstream.
A groan of intense pain escaped Su Zhizhan’s throat as his entire body froze and he knelt on the ground, his sword falling to the ground with a crash. His entire body shivered violently as all the wounds on his body began to slowly turn a deep shade of green.
“Zhizhan!!”
The scenario that he had feared the most had still happened. Su Xiangnan’s face paled with shock. He flew out to land beside Su Zhizhan, and swiftly picked him up.
“Su Xiangnan! The outcome of the battle has not yet been decided, what is the meaning behind your intrusion?!” Duke Huai thundered.
“In this battle, we admit defeat!!”
Su Xiangnan yelled with gritted teeth. He swiftly examined Su Zhizhan’s present condition and his heart filled with alarm: Su Zhizhan’s profound strength had greatly waned and it was hard for him to resist the poison. What was even harder to restrain was the spread and the outbreak of this poison. This was worsened by the fact that he was covered in wounds and the deadly poison had entered his body in large amounts from various locations on his body. And for the current Su Zhizhan, this poison would kill him in a short period of time!
Su Xiangnan swiftly channeled his profound energy and used all his strength to restrain the virulent poison in Su Zhizhan’s body. He fiercely turned his head and fiercely stared at Jiufang Yu, “Hand me the antidote right now!!”
“Antidote?” Jiufang Yu asked with an innocent expression, “Ah, in regards to that, this junior has the Nine Emperor Venom Body, so it is somewhat different from the other members of my family. And it is very hard to concoct the antidote for this kind of Nine Emperor Dragon Poison, so this junior only has a few pills altogether… Ah, today I left the house in quite a hurry, so I forgot to bring it. However with the deep and resounding profound strength of Patriarch Su and the other seniors of the Su Family, I believe that cleansing this junior’s lowly Nine Emperor Dragon Poison should be a simple matter.”
The various great elders of the Su Family had all flown to Su Zhizhan’s side, but after examining his condition, all of their expressions abruptly changed.
“You bastard!” Su Xiangnan raged in fury, “You clearly knew that my son’s body was covered in wounds and his profound energy had greatly weakened, but you still deliberately used such a heavy poison! He has no strength to resist the poison at the moment, and if we use external energy, it is extremely easy to injure his internal organs… hand me the antidote immediately! If not, do not blame me for being impolite!”
“Su Xiangnan, what do you mean by that?” The Jiufang Family’s Patriarch Jiufang Kui stood up and coldly eyed him while he said, “Poison arts are our Jiufang Family’s clan profound art, it is a matter that is open and aboveboard! My son defeated him with our Family’s profound art, honestly and in a straightforward manner! Given your son’s attitude, he can only blame himself for his own inferiority. Don’t tell me that in the midst of battle when you are battling your mortal enemy, you would actually hope that he would bequeath an antidote to you?!”
“Jiufang Kui, you!!” Su Xiangnan was filled with indignant anger but the antidote was in the hands of the other party, so even he was extremely furious, he did not dare be too fierce with his words. He took in a large breath and he turned to the Little Demon Empress. If the Little Demon Empress intervened, the Jiufang Family will definitely not dare to withhold the antidote, but this would also lead to his own side becoming mired in passivity.
At this time, Yun Che rushed over and he arrived at Su Zhizhan’s side. He quickly took out a dull yellow medicine pill and placed it in Su Zhizhan’s mouth, “Swallow this pill immediately, hurry!”
As he finished speaking, he didn’t wait for Su Zhizhan to respond. He directly used his profound energy to push the yellow pill into Su Zhizhan’s stomach. It was only then that the elders by Su Zhizhan’s side reacted and yelled in alarm, “What did you feed the Young Patriarch?!”
As their voices fell, they sensed that the poison in Su Zhizhan’s body had suddenly weakened. The poison began to lessen at a shocking speed and in the span of a few breaths, the green on Su Zhizhan’s body gradually dimmed, until the green tinge disappeared altogether.
Yun Che’s hand stealthily moved away from Su Zhizhan’s chest… the medical pill he had fed him was only an ordinary Profound Recovering Pellet. It was a sleight of hand performed by Yun Che, because what truly cleansed the dragon poison was naturally the Sky Poison Pearl. The Nine Emperor Dragon Poison was indeed scary, but in front of the Sky Poison Pearl, it was no different from any ordinary poison. It was completely purged from Su Zhizhan’s system in the blink of an eye.
Chapter 553 - Yun Che Comes Forth
The terrifying feeling of the deadly poison eating away at Su Zhizhan’s body miraculously disappeared. Not only had the poison in his body completely disappeared, the moans had also stopped coming from his mouth, and under everyone’s surprised gaze… he even slowly stood up all by himself.
“This…”
Su Xiangnan, who had his palm pressing on Su Zhizhan this whole time, and all the elders from Su Family, clearly felt the Nine Emperor Dragon Poison completely disappear from Su Zhizhan’s body… It completely disappeared, rather than being suppressed. They were one of the Guardian Families aside the Jiufang Clan for a full ten thousand years, so they naturally knew very clearly how strong the Jiufang Clan’s poison art was, and knew how scary the Nine Emperor Dragon Poison was. Even if someone was as strong as them, it would still take quite a while to completely neutralize the “Nine Emperor Dragon Poison” from Jiufang Yu, a mere Tyrant Profound Realm level four, if they got hit. The yellow pill that Yun Che fed Su Zhizhan dissolved all of the Nine Emperor Dragon Poison in the time of only a few short breaths.
Even with their experience, it was hard for them to believe it.
Su Zhizhan naturally knew best about the status of his own body. He looked at Yun Che with astonished eyes for a while, then he cupped his hands and said sincerely, “Brother Yun, thank you for saving me. Father, all the gathered elders, I am okay now.”
Under the supervision of everyone present, the Jiufang Clan naturally wouldn’t really kill Su Zhizhan with poison, but if the Nine Emperor Dragon Poison was dragged out long enough, there was a very likely chance that it would deal permanent, irreparable damage to Su Zhizhan’s body, or even to his profound veins. If the Su Family wanted to get the antidote sooner, they would have had to lower their heads to the Jiufang Clan… so, not only did Yun Che dissolve the poison in Su Zhizhan’s body, he also saved the Su Family from lowering their dignity.
With Su Zhizhan’s personality, if his clan had to kneel down to the Jiufang Clan because of him, it would be harder to endure than simply killing him. So towards Yun Che, whom he hadn’t paid much attention to before, his heart was now filled with gratitude.
“It… it really was a miracle medicine!” A few of the elders from the Su Family gasped in a low voice. If it weren’t in consideration for their location, they would definitely do everything to find out what miracle medicine Yun Che fed Su Zhizhan. Within the time of a few breaths, it completely dissolved the Nine Emperor Dragon Poison that was spreading within his body. With this medicine, they would be invulnerable to tens of thousands of poisons!
Su Xiangnan nodded heavily towards Yun Che. Even though he hadn’t spoken, his gratitude was already shown all over his face.
“What happened?” With the presence of the venom disappearing from Su Zhizhan’s body, he stood up as if nothing had happened. Jiufang Yu and the people of the Jiufang Clan were all stunned. Even though they only saw Yun Che feeding Su Zhizhan a single pill, the same word appeared in all of their minds —— Impossible!
In this world, how could there possibly exist a medicine that could dissolve the Nine Emperor Dragon Poison that easily… That’s absolutely impossible! It must be only temporarily suppressing the poison. That must be it!
Everyone in the Jiufang Clan was shocked. They absolutely would not believe, and absolutely could not accept that the poison in Su Zhizhan’s body was really cleansed that easily by a single pill! If there really was a pill like that, then wouldn’t the poison art of their clan become a joke, become nonsense?!
“That poison just now, I, Su Zhizhan… will remember it!” Su Zhizhan gave Jiufang Yu a vicious look, and with the help of Su Xiangnan, he sat back into the seats of the Su Family.
But Yun Che didn’t leave right away. He faced Jiufang Yu, and said without expression, “Jiufang Yu, when Su Zhizhan fought you hand to hand, his entire body was already wounded, and his profound strength had dropped drastically. You could have beaten him easily, so why did you use poison? Does your entire Jiufang Clan consist of insidious, sinister people?”
Towards Yun Che, whose body only released a Sky Profound aura, Jiufang Yu was completely uninterested to even look at him. He was a renowned top genius of Illusory Demon Realm, and the number one of the Jiufang Clan. In his eyes, a mere Sky Profound Realm didn’t even deserve the word “trash”. He tilted his head, and asked lazily, “What kind of a thing are you? When did a useless thing like you have the right to question how I fought against Su Zhizhan? Oh… I finally remembered, weren’t you the one who talked back to Duke Huai, the useless godson that Patriarch Yun had adopted, mn? What, is it possible that you are the person representing the Yun Family for the next round? Hahahaha!”
After saying that last sentence, Jiufang Yu immediately burst into laughter. Yun Che laughed as well, “You are correct. I am the one representing the Yun Family, who is also your opponent now.”
“Hm?” Jiufang Yu’s laughing stopped abruptly, and then he started laughing once again. He laughed until he was staggering back and forth, and was almost out of breath, “You? A Sky Profound Realm piece of trash… representing the Yun Family? Be my opponent? Ahaha… hahahaha…”
The words Jiufang Yu said before were just pure mockery. He didn’t think that the Yun Family would send someone who was only in the Sky Profound Realm, because this realm couldn’t even be qualified to be serve as a stopgap. He didn’t expect Yun Che to give him a confident answer. It was as if he heard the most hilarious joke in the world.
People in the east wing instantly fell on the ground laughing, and the same laughter came from every corner in the hall. The west wing had lost miserably, and the competition was a foregone conclusion. After Su Zhizhan lost, they only had one last contestant left. This competition was started because of the Yun Family, and the result also determined the fate of the Yun Family. Therefore, the Yun Family would have to send someone out no matter what… Even though the Yun Family’s young generation had fallen, and even though it would be a loss for sure, the Yun Family made the claim that they could lose the competition, but they absolutely could not lose their morality and momentum. They should’ve sent the strongest of their young generation to battle with all their might against Jiufang Yu. Even if they lost, they would not yield…
No matter what, they shouldn’t let someone who was only in Sky Profound Realm, someone who didn’t even qualify to serve as a stopgap into the arena. If they really did so, wouldn’t the Yun Family be humiliating themselves?
So, aside from everyone laughing, they all thought that it was Yun Che making the decision on his own. Everyone still vividly remembered all of his shocking impulses, actions, and words from before.
“This boy is here doing comedy, right?”
“When he spoke against Duke Huai before, I thought he was courageous. Turns out he was just a hothead afterall.”
“He is merely in the Sky Profound Realm. He can’t even be compared to me, yet he still wants to represent the Yun Family? Doesn’t he know that this is stripping off the Yun Family’s face?”
“Even I can’t watch this. If it were me, I probably wouldn’t be able to face anyone ever again.”
“The dignified Yun Family Patriarch, how could he adopt such a son, sigh…”
The whole audience fell over laughing. The Little Demon Empress’ crescent brows locked tightly. A soft laugh sounded as Duke Huai stood up and said smilingly, “Yun Che, you are representing the Yun Family? Is this your decision, or Yun Qinghong’s decision?”
Yun Che didn’t answer. Yun Qinghong slowly stood up and looked at Duke Huai. Just as everyone thought he was going to overrule it, he softly said, “Of course this is my decision! The last person from our side, and the person who is representing our Yun Family, is Yun Che! Does Duke Huai have any objections?”
WHOA——
It was no surprise that as soon as Yun Qinghong spoke his words, the whole hall was surprised. Almost everyone was staring in bewilderment, followed with even more noise coming from all directions. Yun Qinghong didn’t even have to listen to know exactly what they were saying. It was definitely things like “Yun Qinghong must have gone mad”.
But, not everyone was like this. Some were gaping, some were laughing loudly, but Duke Huai wasn’t laughing, and many people from the Twelve Families were also deep in thought.
Many people from the Twelve Families knew Yun Che saved Xiao Yun and Number Seven Under Heaven when they were assaulted outside the city three months ago. Especially the Under Heaven Clan, the Helian Clan, and Duke Huai’s people. They even knew that Yun Che had not only saved them from three first-level Tyrant Profound Realms, he even instantly killed a level one Overlord!
His powers were absolutely not as simple as they looked on the surface… Yun Qinghong’s decision displayed this fact even more clearly.
Because Yun Qinghong was absolutely not a fool!
“Seventh Treasure, when Yun Che saved you that day, did he really only use one move to slay a level one Overlord?”
At the seats of the Under Heaven Clan, Unparalleled Under Heaven confirmed with Number Seven Under Heaven.
“Of course it’s true!” Number Seven Under Heaven nodded with certainty, “Third Uncle, I was there when it happened. I saw it clearly with my own eyes.”
“I tested out his strength that day.” Number One Under Heaven gazed at Yun Che and said, “When he attacked, his profound energy aura was still at the tenth level of the Sky Profound Realm, it was unmistakeable. But his combat capabilities, were at least at the fourth level of the Tyrant Profound Realm! Jiufang Yu might not win for sure in this battle… wait and prepare to be surprised!”
Number One Under Heaven pronounced “at least” articulately. Even though the fourth level of the Tyrant Profound Realm was the resulting strength of his test that day, he also felt that it was possible that Yun Che had not used all of his powers. A person who was smart enough would definitely not reveal all of his strengths that easily.
“If that really was the case, then we’ve got a show to watch. A Sky Profound Realm level ten… holds the strength of a mid-stage Overlord, how was this cultivated! In the history of the whole Illusory Demon Realm, there absolutely hasn’t been such a jump in levels of strength,” said Unparalleled Under Heaven as he lowered his eyebrows. But then, he followed it with a sigh to himself, “Sigh, even if his strength really exceeds the fourth level of the Tyrant Profound Realm, what good will it do if he won against Jiufang Yu? This miserable losing situation is impossible to fix. Even if Jiufang Yu lost, they still have the kid from the Xiao Family, the lass from the Chiyang Family, and the three sons of Duke Huai and Duke Zhong… sigh.”
“At least he could win back a large amount of momentum!” Greatest Ambition Under Heaven gave a sideways glance and said, “I’d like to see if he could surprise us! If this kid could really win this fight, then it would be a ruthless slap in their faces, and even if we lost, our hearts would be more at ease! Yun Qinghong’s decision to put him last must have been for this purpose.
“But, Yun Che is only Yun Qinghong’s adopted son after all, not someone from the Yun Family. Usually, he wouldn’t be qualified to represent the Yun Family,” Number Five Under Heaven opened his mouth and said.
“If no one from either side opposes, then why are you worrying about it?” Greatest Ambition Under Heaven said as he waved his hand, “Even if they were aware of this, they definitely won’t say anything about it. They can’t wait to use this opportunity to brutally humiliate the Yun Family… Sigh, I hope this kid can actually win.”
“No objections, of course no objections.” Duke Huai said smilingly and said, “Since Patriarch Yun trusts your adopted son so much, your adopted son must be extraordinary. Then this duke will wait quietly for the exciting showdown next, hehehehe.”
“Patriarch, t-t-this… this is a serious matter, please think clearly about this.” None of the elders of the Yun Family could sit tight any longer, and they all spoke up in agitation.
A younger disciple from the Yun Family speedily stood in front of Yun Qinghong, and said, “Patriarch, this disciple requests to take Yun Che’s place. Even though this disciple is not as gifted, I will fight until death, and will definitely not shame our clan…”
“Say no more.” Yun Qinghong waved his hand firmly, “Go back to your seats. If there’s anything you want to say, save it for after this competition!”
Yun Qinghong’s voice was strict and determined. The elders and disciples all looked at one another, and didn’t dare to say another word. Yun Qinghong sat down and looked at the Yun Che on the stage. In his mind, he thought about the speed and concealing skill that deeply impressed him three days ago… and the Golden Crow’s exploding flames that night outside of Demon Imperial City…
Even though he never really tested Yun Che’s strength, simply based on that night when Yun Che enraged the Little Demon Empress and still came back alive, it was enough for him to believe that his son’s strength was absolutely stronger than he had predicted.
Che’er… let Father see, what performance you would present!
Not everyone in Demon Imperial City knew about Yun Che saving Xiao Yun and Number Seven Under Heaven from the three Overlords. Even if they heard about it, they wouldn’t take an unfamiliar name to heart… Jiufang Yu was one of those people.
For someone at the tenth level of the Sky Profound Realm, even if he was incredibly gifted, his strength would at most be half a step into the Emperor Profound Realm. Jiufang Yu felt humiliated that he was faced with an opponent of a garbage level, in a location like the Demon Imperial Hall with all the heroes of the realm gathered here. To lessen the mortification as much as possible, he felt like he couldn’t just defeat him immediately even if he could crush his opponent with only one fingertip. He had to humiliate him as much as possible, or else he would feel like he couldn’t show his face anywhere in the future.
He stood there in a crooked posture, signaled Yun Che with his finger, and said in a lazy tone, “Then let’s fight. Come. Grab your weapon and attack me all you want. I will stand right here and let you slash me thirty times. If I flinch at all, then consider it my loss, how about that?”
“Heh!” Yun Che laughed slightly, “That’s okay, I don’t think I’ll need a weapon to deal with you.”
“…” Jiufang Yu got so angry he burst into laughter. He now believed that what he encountered wasn’t a weak chicken, but a complete idiot. He felt like his class, level, and even his IQ had all been smacked down just from standing face to face with him.
Chapter 554 - One Strike
“Indeed, you don’t have to use your weapon because the result would be the same whether you use it or not!” Jiufang Yu said as the corners of his lips twitched.
“Are you sure you want to stand there without moving and let me attack you thirty times?” Yun Che rolled his wrist for a moment and revealed a provocative gaze.
“Enough of your rubbish!” Jiufang Yu started to become impatient, “For trash like you, not only thirty moves, even if I stood here and let you attack me three hundred times, you wouldn’t even damage a single hair!”
“Really?” Yun Che’s face looked completely amazed, and rolled his wrist even more fiercely, “Then, I’m going to try.”
Jiufang Yu’s words were not carelessness due to ignorance. There was, after all, a huge gap between the Sky Profound Realm and the Emperor Profound Realm, and the difference between Tyrant Profound Realm and Emperor Profound Realm could be thought of as a natural chasm. Hence, the comparison between the Sky Profound Realm with the Tyrant Profound Realm would be like the difference between earth and heaven. If an Overlord were to casually release a little profound energy for defense, even if a profound practitioner in the Sky Profound Realm attacked with all his might, he would not be able to injure the Overlord even one bit.
Sky Profound Realm and Tyrant Profound Realm, could no longer be likened to a difference in levels… It was simply two different worlds!
Therefore, even though everyone thought that Jiufang Yu was reckless and haughty, other than those who knew of Yun Che’s actual battle prowess, no one thought that Jiufang Yu was acting carelessly.
Yun Che walked forward leisurely to the front of Jiufang Yu, and when he was three steps in front of Jiufang Yu, he slowly raised up his right arm. As he swung his fist threateningly at Jiufang Yu, he confirmed once again, “When I hit you, are you sure you’re not going to block?”
“Hmph!” Jiufang Yu laughed coldly, “Are you deaf? I’ve already said that I’m not going to block. If I even move one bit, consider it your victory! This is my magnanimity towards you, bestowing rubbish like you such a chance. If you waste my time any longer, I’m going to knock you down!”
“Alright!” Yun Che nodded, raising his fist, “Since that’s the case, I’m going to attack. You must receive it pro~per~ly!”
When he said his last word, Yun Che stepped forward quickly and swung a punch, which landed straight on Jiufang Yu’s chest.
Yun Che’s punch was not quick and the profound strength released by it was indeed only at the peak of the Sky Profound Realm. However, the fluctuation of profound energy was not strong and anyone could tell that Yun Che did not use his full strength when he threw the punch.
In the hall, many looked on with contempt… They thought, not using weapons, nor using his full strength, this soft looking punch was something even I could receive, let alone Jiufang Yu.
Truly a fool who was unaware of consequences… Jiufang Yu laughed coldly as he saw Yun Che’s fist approach. Even though he did indeed not move, it didn’t mean that he was not going to retaliate. From how he saw it, facing someone as low level as Yun Che, he just needed to use profound energy to cause a backlash that would be enough to cripple Yun Che’s arm.
From Jiufang Yu’s gaze, Yun Che could guess what he was thinking and laughed coldly in his heart. Suddenly, the right fist that he swung started to accelerate and landed onto Jiufang Yu’s chest. The punch looked neither hard nor gentle and the “bang” sound it produced was neither soft nor loud, only a little abnormally dull.
As everyone had expected, after being punched by Yun Che, Jiufang Yu did not retreat one bit, nor did his body sway even a little.
Within the hall, roars of laughter immediately erupted but the laughter did not last very long; it subsided as everyone suddenly felt that something was a little… amiss.
After being punched by Yun Che, Jiufang Yu indeed did not retreat one bit, nor did his body sway… even his expression remained the same. As Yun Che leisurely pulled back his fist, Jiufang Yu’s expression still had not changed. He didn’t utter any insults and mocking words that he should had.
Yun Che stepped back and looked at Jiufang Yu with a smile.
“What… What happened?”
“Ugh… ugh…” Finally, Jiufang Yu groaned with a hoarse voice. His eyes opened wide, and his eyeballs bulged exaggeratingly, nearly coming out of his eyes. Following that, his body slowly collapsed like a pile of clay and in an instant, he laid on the floor with his hands clutching his chest in misery, curled up just like a cooked prawn. His entire body trembled, and cold sweat poured down his forehead like rain… After which, he vomited a huge mouthful of blood mixed with white foam. Following that, his nose, eyes and ears all started to bleed.
“Wha… What?” Everyone in the hall had their mouth agape in shock. Nearly everyone was stunned and a few patriarchs, dukes and elders suddenly stood up with a face of complete shock.
After being stunned for a while, Jiufang Kui was instantly horrified and flew from his seat, landing beside Jiufang Yu. He immediately picked him up and scanned his body with his profound energy. Instantly, his face darkened as he stared viciously at Yun Che, “You…”
Upon his inspection… all of Jiufang Yu’s internal organs had been displaced, and more than ten of his ribs were deformed. Even though they did not break, it was much scarier than breaking… it was as though they had been forcefully reshaped! Other than his vitals, his chest had nearly turned into a blob of goo and countless meridians were destroyed.
His injuries could only be described as “extremely serious”, much worse than what Jiufang Kui had expected.
“He has already fallen for ten breaths of time, Patriarch Jiufang, you… have lost!” Facing Jiufang Kui’s murderous look, Yun Che was not one bit afraid as he calmly stated.
Yun Che did indeed not use his full strength in his previous punch; however, it still packed the strength of at least several thousand kilograms. If Jiufang Yu had blocked with all his strength, he might have been able to resist it. However, facing Yun Che who was only in the Sky Profound Realm, he didn’t bother to even use one percent of his strength. Although Yun Che’s punch did not cause him to retreat, when the extremely frightening destructive power came in contact with his body, it converted into countless streaks of energies, easily shattered his protective profound energy and spread all over his body, severely injuring him.
“What… what’s wrong? What happened?” Xiao Yun, like most of the others present, was completely stunned.
“He actually… crippled Jiufang Yu in one strike!” Yun Qinghong muttered in a low voice. As he and Mu Yurou looked at each other, they could see the deep shock present in each other’s eyes.
In the hall, everyone was stunned, all the patriarchs were shocked and even Duke Huai’s face remained stiff for quite some time. He naturally knew that Yun Che had defeated a level one Overlord three months ago. When Jiufang Yu was acting insolently, he already predicted that Jiufang Yu would be at a huge disadvantage, but did not inform him, as he wanted to see whether Yun Che, who was clearly in the Sky Profound Realm, really had the same strength he had heard of.
The end result was that even he, who was extremely scheming, was deeply shocked.
One strike… Just one strike and he caused Jiufang Yu, who was in the fourth level of the Tyrant Profound Realm, to collapse to the ground, severely injured and bleeding from all the orifices of his head!
The gaze in which Duke Huai, as well as everyone present, looked at Yun Che instantly changed drastically. Until now, there were still a large majority of people who did not believe what they had seen.
“Yun Che boyo…” The severity of Jiufang Yu’s injuries sharpened Jiufang Kui’s mind, and all the anger within him started to boil as he glared viciously at Yun Che, “How dare you be so ruthless towards my child!!!”
“So? What does Patriarch Jiufang want?”
As the Patriarch of the Jiufang Family, Jiufang Kui emitted an undoubtedly heavy pressure out of his anger and profound strength, but in Yun Che’s eyes, it was like a mere fart. If not ten thousand times, he had experienced such a scene at least eight thousand times, and he leisurely said, “It was your son who wanted to stand there without moving and let me hit him thirty times. I had never made such a request at all and I was still afraid your son could not take it, hence, I did not use my full strength. In the end, who would have expected his body to be so trashy, to have collapsed in just one light punch. Patriarch Jiufang, instead of thanking me for acting magnanimously, you still want to blame me?”
Just now, when Yun Che was confronting Duke Huai, Jiufang Kui already experienced Yun Che’s glib tongue. He didn’t even lose his composure when he faced Duke Huai, let alone now, when he faced Jiufang Kui.
Jiufang Yu’s injuries were severe and there was a chance that he might be paralyzed in the future. Now that he was also being rebutted by this kid who injured his son, Jiufang Kui was so angry his muscles twitched. He howled, “This was only a sparring competition, yet you acted so viciously… If anything happens to my son, I will take your life!”
“Me acting viciously?” Yun Che narrowed his eyes and laughed, “Just now, when Jiufang Yu maliciously caused Su Zhizhan to be poisoned, what did you say? Heh… How can you blame someone else for your own lack of skills? During battle, are you perhaps hoping for your enemy to treat you more gently?!”
“You!!!” Jiufang Kui’s face instantly darkened to the color of a pig’s liver.
“Jiufang Kui, your son has already lost and instead of quickly bringing him away, you are acting mightily in front of a junior!” Su Xiangnan’s shouted with a voice that was filled with mocking intent, “Your own son was lacking, yet acted so arrogantly. Losing in such an unsightly manner was his own fault. As a father, not only are you not going to discipline him more strictly and treat this with shame, you also plan to exact revenge on a junior? Heh, is the Jiufang Family just a bunch of worthless and laughable people who cannot afford to lose?”
Just now, when Su Zhizhan was poisoned, the arrogant face that Jiufang Kui displayed was something that he remembered in his heart. However, he did not expect to be able to take revenge so quickly. On one hand, he was defending Yun Che… but it was more so to take this opportunity to add insult to injury. Saying all that caused his heart to feel extremely satisfied and comfortable. The anger and resentment he held due to Su Zhizhan’s poisoning was released with that shout.
Chapter 555 - Displaying One’s Slight Skill in Front of an Expert
“Just… you wait!”
Jiufang Yu’s injuries were too severe and treatment could no longer be delayed. Jiufang Kui glared at Yun Che and Su Xiangnan viciously, then brought Jiufang Yu out of the arena. In his heart, he was deeply shocked that Yun Che could severely injure Jiufang Yu in one strike, and at the same time, fully knew that Yun Che had intentionally attacked so heavily. If this were any other occasion, he would not care about his status and would definitely personally cripple Yun Che… However, because the Little Demon Empress was overseeing matters and everyone present was watching intently, he had not choice but to endure.
The entire hall still had a strange atmosphere as everyone who was previously mocking, laughing at, looking down on, jeering and scoffing at Yun Che… now looked at him in a completely differently light.
Su Zhizhan looked surprised as well, the shock causing him to forget the pain of his injuries as he startledly mumbled, “What… What is going on…”
“Looks like we have completely underestimated this Yun Che.” Su Xiangnan looked at Yun Che with an abnormal gaze, saying, “Jiufang Yu was careless, that was why he did not defend, but even so, to severely injure him in one strike… Zhizhan, his strength is probably not below yours!”
Su Zhizhan: “…Could he be using some treasure to hide the level of his profound strength?”
“No!” Su Xiangnan shook his head confidently, “When not using your profound strength, you can indeed rely on treasures to hide or suppress the aura of your profound energy, but once you release your profound energy, there’s no way of hiding it anymore. The profound energy aura of the attack he used on Jiufang Yu was indeed still in the peak of the Sky Profound Realm, it can’t be wrong!”
All the elders who were puzzled as to why Yun Qinghong had sent Yun Che to participate, now stared dumbfoundedly. All the disciples of the young generation also stared widely as they were struck dumb. They had finally started to understand why Yun Qinghong had sent Yun Che to represent the Yun Family.
“Just what is with… this kid’s strength?” Helian Ba bitterly said as he supported his chest, with gritted teeth. He had originally wanted to see Jiufang Yu torture Su Zhizhan with his poison to alleviate his hatred, but it was cured by a mysterious medicine Yun Che gave him. Also, despite his clearly rubbish strength, he defeated Jiufang Yu in one strike…
“Hmph, Jiufang Yu was just too careless and did not defend with any profound energy at all. That must be why he was so badly injured with just one hit. Although this kid’s strength is a little abnormal, if Jiufang Yu were to fight seriously against him, it’s not possible that Yun Che would be his match,” Helian Peng said with a gloomy look.
“This duke thought that the competition was about to end and did not expect you to actually beat Jiufang Yu. That has given this duke a pleasant surprise.” Duke Huai looked at Yun Che and said with a smile, “Your profound strength is only at the Sky Profound Realm but your abilities are comparable to that of a mid-stage Overlord. Such an unbelievable leap between levels and strength is something unheard of. It’s no wonder the Yun Family Patriarch made you his godson.”
“Pleasant surprise?” Yun Che laughed, “I’m afraid, this pleasant surprise… might soon turn into fright for you.”
“Hahahaha!” Duke Huai laughed heartily, “Things that are able to frighten this duke do not exist in this world.”
“Heh…” The corners of Yun Che lips slowly hooked upwards, “Duke Huai, don’t be too sure of what you said because things that will frighten you might suddenly pop out… If I haven’t remember wrongly, there should be five more people from your side that have not fought yet. Who’s next?”
The word “haughty” was clearly written all over Yun Che’s face and the target he was haughty towards was none other than the dignified Duke Huai. Duke Huai laughed intriguingly, “This duke understands that youths with some talent are often arrogant. Looks like defeating the young master of the Jiufang Family has caused your confidence to grow. Do you really think that if it were not because Jiufang Yu had underestimated you due to the difference in profound strength, that you would be able to defeat him so easily?”
Yun Che’s expression did not change, it was still an expression that was too lazy to argue. He looked straight at the east wing seats and casually said, “Who’s coming next?”
After Yun Che shouted, no one from the east wing seats reacted. Xiao Donglai, Chiyang Yanwu, Hui Ye, Yuan Que, Hui Ran, these five were the powerhouses of the east wing seats who had not battled yet, but they did not appear to move. Especially Hui Ye, Yuan Que and Hui Ran, the three of them only glanced at him lazily, obviously looking down on him… despite him crippling Jiufang Yu in one move.
Yun Che laughed, “Duke Huai, looks like your side only has a bunch of cowards. Since that’s the case, why not surrender now? Our Yun Family is very interested in those few kilograms of Purple Veined Divine Crystals.”
Once Yun Che finished, numerous people in the hall burst out laughing. Even an idiot could clearly tell that among the remaining five people, none of them was willing to fight with Yun Che. Hui Ye, Yuan Que, and Hui Ran were the top three members of the Illusory Demon Seven Scions that shook the world. If possible, they would rather not fight Yun Che. As for Xiao Donglai and Chiyang Yanwu, even if they beat Yun Che… Defeating someone in the Sky Profound Realm was not something to be proud of, and if they were to enter a stalemate or even lose… they would become the laughingstock of the entire Demon Imperial City.
Based on the fact that he had crippled Jiufang Yu with one move earlier, the latter was not completely impossible!
There were five powerhouses remaining, including the transcendent existence of the top three members of the Illusory Demon Seven Scions, but only Yun Che was left for the east wing seats. Yet, he was so arrogant that he asked the other side to surrender… Even a respected elder almost could not help it and nearly burst out laughing.
From the Xiao Family seats, someone stood up suddenly, pointed towards Yun Che and laughed, “Yun Che, do you know how much of a clown you are right now? Heh, is it because you just beat Jiufang Yu, and you suddenly now think you’re invincible, and can act so insolently? It’s so laughable. Do you really think you defeated Jiufang Yu because of your own abilities? Jiufang Yu’s defeat was something that he himself was seeking. If he was a bit more serious, any casual attack might have been able to take your life. Fundamentally, he did not lose to you, and instead lost to himself.”
The person who stood up was the Young Patriarch of the Xiao Family, Xiao Donglai. When he finished speaking, a violent gust was raised. Wind sounds resounded, and then a figure abruptly flashed, appearing in front of Yun Che at the speed of which caused many people in the hall to gasp.
“Xiao Family, Xiao Donglai!” Xiao Donglai stretched out his hand and a spiralling lump of profound light appeared in the palm of his hand, “Among the twelve people here, my strength is probably the weakest, but to beat a ridiculous, wild kid like you, two fingers is more than enough.”
Yun Che glanced at him and uttered lifelessly, “Such rubbish.”
Xiao Donglai’s eyes narrowed as he laughed coldly, “Be obedient and take out your weapon, let me shatter it along with your dreams!”
“No need.” Yun Che’s folded his arms in front of his chest as he said with disdain, “You look weaker than that Jiufang Yu. Since he was not qualified for me to use my weapon, for you… hehe, there’s even less need for me to.”
Everyone clearly saw Yun Che’s insolence when he spoke to Duke Huai and knew that he was a master of lawless insolence. However, now that he was experiencing it first hand, Xiao Donglai nearly exploded in rage. His voice started to tremble, “Good… Very good! This is what you asked for!”
Whoosh!!
The cries of the raging wind resounded from every corner of the hall as a heavy gust suddenly brewed. On Xiao Donglai, jade-green profound glow flickered and the figure of a pegasus loomed behind him. Then, Duke Huai sent him a profound energy sound transmission, “Use all your strength to fight, don’t underestimate him!”
Xiao Donglai’s breathing slowed down a little as the profound glow on him surged. Around him, a storm that almost seemed real brewed. When facing Yun Che, who did not use his weapon, he naturally would not use his either. With his palm facing Yun Che, he said with disdain, “Come, let me see how long you can struggle within my stellar storm!”
At the same time, Yun Qinghong’s voice rang beside Yun Che, “The Xiao family is a clan of the Pegasus race, and although their wind profound energy is not really strong in attack, their speed is best among the Twelve Families! Whether it’s their displacement, instantaneous movement or shadow clone technique, they are all extremely mysterious and unpredictable. Be careful!”
Ripppp!!
Just as Yun Qinghong had finished his sound transmission, the howling of a savage storm resounded intensely and the Xiao Donglai who was before him disappeared… replaced by no less than ten afterimages that seemed neither real nor fake, yet somewhat real and fake! Around each afterimage was a spiral of violent wind that could shatter rocks into smithereens.
“Wahhhhhh… what kind of move is this!”
“This is the Xiao Family’s Stellar Shadow Clones! In some respects, the Xiao Family’s profound movement skill can be said to be the best in the world. In terms of speed and movement skills, there are no forces within the entire Illusory Demon Realm that can compare with the Xiao Family.”
“Xiao Donglai used Stellar Shadow Clones immediately after coming up, does he want to defeat Yun Che instantly?”
“More than ten afterimages… and all of them look the same… How can one handle this!!”
Yun Che stood rooted to the ground and didn’t move at all, as though he had been struck dumb with shock. As the afterimages approached, just when they were less than three meters away from Yun Che, the most outer right afterimage suddenly accelerated, swiftly approaching Yun Che with lightning speed…
Rippppp!!
Even though the air was being ripped apart violently, the afterimage did not disappear… However, what Xiao Donglai managed to rip was merely the air and an afterimage. After a short moment, he swiftly used an instantaneous movement technique as his heart twitched at the same time… His Xiao Family was the best in Illusory Demon Realm when using afterimages, but the afterimage attack that he used immediately after coming on stage, which shocked the whole hall… had only hit his opponent’s afterimage!!!
This was simply the greatest humiliation.
When he turned around, he saw Yun Che rushing towards him. As he approached, his body suddenly shook and Xiao Donglai’s vision blurred for an instant. Then, he saw that there were now four images of Yun Che in front of him. They rushed towards him from the front, top, left and right respectively. Seeing this, his eyes sunk and he laughed coldly to himself, Previously, when I let you pass me using your afterimage, that was because I wasn’t prepared. Yet, you still dare to flaunt your afterimage in front our Xiao Family… You’re courting death!!!
Being the family that was focused on movement skills, the Xiao Family was naturally adept at countering other movement skills… among them, they were the most adept at countering shadow clone techniques. With the violent gust blowing within the entire arena, he could rely on the wind profound energy to differentiate the real and fake afterimages. However, in the next instant, Xiao Donglai’s eyes widened because based on the feedback of his wind profound energy…
All four figures of Yun Che were his real body!!!
How… How was this possible!
Xiao Donglai was at a loss and didn’t dare to defend haphazardly. Instead, he retreated with great speed. In terms of speed, he strongly believed that among the young generation, no one could possibly match him. However, as he retreated, he found that Yun Che’s figure was coming closer and closer, and as Yun Che neared, three of his other figures disappeared and his actual body was now not even three feet from him…
The Xiao Family’s speed and profound movement skills were indeed the best within Illusory Demon Realm.
But, in terms of instantaneous movement and afterimages, how could they compare to Star God’s Broken Shadow?
As for speed, how could they compare to Extreme Mirage Lightning?
When placed in front of Yun Che, the Xiao Family’s biggest advantage was like displaying one’s slight skill in front of an expert!
Seeing Yun Che approaching closer and closer, Xiao Donglai’s eyes widened again as though he had seen a ghost in broad daylight. Luckily, he reacted quickly, utilizing all of the profound energy within him and pushed his palms out intensely, shooting out two gigantic whirlwinds, which looked like two gigantic dragons dancing in midair, straight at Yun Che.
Yun Che threw his palms out at nearly the same time as his entire body shined with an ethereal ice-blue profound radiance… Following his advancement into the Sky Profound Realm, his initial restriction on the Frozen End Divine Arts due to his lack of profound strength had naturally been overcome as well. He broke through the stage of “Frozen End Profound Seal”, and was only half a step away from the sixth stage, “Frozen End Heart Seal”.
Crack-crack-crack-crack…
When the violent windstorm came in contact with the glow of the Frozen End, the clear sounds of something freezing was instantly heard. One breath later, the pale-green wind spirals turned pale-blue and after two breaths of time, the wind spirals were completely sealed by ice and just remained in place, turning into two tornado-shaped ice sculptures.
Within the hall, the audience’s eyes either stared widely or seemed as though they were about to pop out from seeing the most unbelievable scene in this world.
“This kid, actually practices ice profound skills… B-b-but… what type of profound skill is this, it’s actually able to seal even wind profound energy!!! T-t-this…”
Mu Yubai had already stood up and was shocked into incoherence. The Mu Family profound skill was an ice profound skill that had been passed down for ten of thousands of years. Being the Young Patriarch of the Mu Family, he was naturally an expert regarding ice profound skills and had practiced them to the extreme. He could seal many objects in this world in ice… However, this was the first time he had seen someone using ice to seal the profound energy released by another person!!!
If he had seen the day when Xia Qingyue used the Frozen End Divine Arts to seal Phoenix Flames, his jaw would probably have dropped out of amazement.
Chapter 556 - Xiao Donglai’s Huge Loss
Everyone gathered within the Demon Imperial Hall was broadly knowledgeable as they were the top experts from all of Demon Illusory Realm. However, not one of them had seen profound skills being sealed in ice, and they were shocked stupefied. Some people even stood up in surprise and repeatedly checked to ensure that what they were seeing was not an illusion.
Bang, bang, bang!!
Following Yun Che’s aggression, the ice-sealed storm shattered as though it were normal ice. Xiao Donglai was so shocked that he had lost any form of composure and stared blankly at the quickly approaching Yun Che. As his arms shook, a longspear appeared in his hands, then swept up a huge whirlwind. With a loud roar, he shot the spear viciously at Yun Che, and the figure of a mighty pegasus, spreading its wings and howling emerged at the tip of the spear.
Ripppp!!
The longspear shot straight through Yun Che’s figure, but all it tore apart was an afterimage. Xiao Donglai was instantly stunned… Given that his senses and perception had been thoroughly trained by his wind profound skill, he still did not detect when Yun Che had used his instantaneous movement. Luckily, his reaction speed was fast; he withdrew his profound energy at top speed, then guarded his entire body.
BOOOM!!!
As though an extremely heavy sledgehammer had been mercilessly smashed onto his back, Xiao Donglai’s back instantly concaved deeply, and the profound energy that he had gathered to defend his body shook violently, almost completely dissipating… At this moment, he finally understood why Jiufang Yu had been knocked out and bled from every orifice on his head in just one blow! If he had not guarded his body with all his profound energy, such a frightening blow would definitely severely injure him… Even more so, Jiufang Yu, who did not bother to defend, had received such a blow directly to his chest.
In the midst of the deafening noise, Xiao Donglai flew away like a bullet, spinning around several times in midair before he barely stabilized his body using wind profound energy, and landed at the edges of the arena. As he landed, he staggered and directly half-knelt onto the ground. His face had become exceptionally pale. Following a gulping sound, he forcefully swallowed the blood that had already rushed to his throat.
And before he had the chance to stand up, he heard the howling of the wind in front of him. As he raised his head, he saw Yun Che’s ice-cold look… which was not more than thirty meters away from him.
Facing Yun Che now, how would Xiao Donglai dare to have any more scorn and arrogance? He gritted his teeth, ignoring the internal injuries he suffered and condensed his profound energy. He grabbed his longspear tightly, but before he could completely stand up, profound light flashed under his feet and a huge Tree of Frozen End sprouted from the ground, growing quickly and within one breath of time, it had towered into the sky until it reached the top of the hall.
Frozen End’s fourth stage —— Tree of Frozen End!
The branches of ice and leaves of snow of the huge Tree of Frozen End wrapped around Xiao Donglai densely and he could only struggle for a short while before being completely sealed in ice. Even though he had quickly utilized all the profound energy within him, he could no longer move one bit. It was as though cold energy that came from an icy hell had entered his body as he felt all the blood in his body rapidly freezing over.
“Good… bye!”
The corners of Yun Che’s lips hooked up in his mutter, and he gradually opened his outstretched hands…
Ping!!
The Tree of Frozen End suddenly exploded and the skies were filled with ice crystals which caused the temperature in the hall to drop drastically. Even those who sat at the corners of the hall shivered intensely due to the cold. Among the dream-like ice crystals, the completely frozen Xiao Donglai flew out without struggling, just like a lifeless corpse, and even when he had landed onto the ground, he still did not move.
The hall was now silent once again. The audience that was previously struck dumb by Yun Che, who had crippled Jiufang Yu with one blow, was stunned yet again… it could even be said that they had been shocked senseless.
When he severely injured Jiufang Yu in one move before, they could acknowledge it as Jiufang Yu’s carelessness in not preparing and defending while also assuming that Yun Che’s specialty was strength. Ninety-nine percent of the audience believed that if they were to fight head on, Yun Che would never be Jiufang Yu’s match… After all, Jiufang Yu was from the Guardian Families that had a ten thousand year heritage. In terms of foundation and profound arts, Yun Che could not possibly compare with him.
However, Yun Che’s fight with Xiao Donglai was a true and honest confrontation! Furthermore, once Xiao Donglai had entered the arena, he had used the Xiao Family’s most dangerous afterimage attack but that was countered by Yun Che’s own afterimage attack! The full-force storm attack that he had executed was sealed in ice by Yun Che. In his panic, he had used his weapon, but it was still easily defeated by Yun Che. Even the speed that the Xiao Family boasted to be the fastest within the Illusory Demon Realm was quickly obliterated by Yun Che!
Not only was this round an honest confrontation, Xiao Donglai had used all the advantages he possessed, yet was still defeated by Yun Che… and it was a tragic defeat!
Numerous people were shocked, numerous people were baffled, numerous people were dumbfounded, and even more people could not believe their eyes.
In the Mu family seats, even Mu Feiyan had stood up… and he himself did not know when he had done so. Seeing Yun Che, who was walking leisurely back to the edge of the arena, his beard trembled intensely as he said in a daze, “This kid is unbelievable… unbelievable.”
“What kind of profound art is he using? There’s actually such a frightening ice profound art that I have actually never heard of in this world!” Mu Yuqing exclaimed in shock.
Mu Yubai shook his head, “Huh, our Mu family have always boasted that our ice profound skills are unrivalled in this world, but compared to this kid… just based on the fact that he could encase profound energy in ice, our family’s profound skill already cannot be compared to his. Tch… Someone in the Sky Profound Realm that can match a mid-stage Overlord, such speed, such a movement skill, such an overbearing ice profound art, and he even cured… This kid simply has too many secrets on him! No! Even if it costs my life, I must make him my sworn brother!”
“Big brother… is actually… so powerful.” Xiao Yun had his mouth agape in shock.
“Husband, is… he really our son?” Mu Yurou grabbed Yun Qinghong’s hand as her emotions went from nervousness to shock to being so agitated that she had nearly lost control and spoke incoherently. This child that heavens had returned to this couple gave them far too many surprises. She felt that she was still in a dream, and the deep relief and pride caused her tears to well up uncontrollably.
“Yes… he is our son.” Yun Qinghong nodded strongly as his quivering eyes revealed a deep sense of emotion and pride.
The various Yun Family elders were all flushed and even the three Grand Elders, Yun Jiang, Yun Xi and Yun He, couldn’t help but nod. The Yun Family disciples who previously snorted surreptitiously and normally looked down on Yun Che in secret were now so ashamed that they wanted to hide their heads.
Xiao Donglai was carried back to the Xiao Family seats by the Xiao Family members and at this point, everyone from the Xiao Family was staring at Yun Che. However, those were not looks of anger, but looks of shock and disbelief. Yun Che had completely overwhelmed Xiao Donglai in terms of speed and movement skills, which were what the Xiao Family had always been the most proud of. They were so shocked that they could not even shout a phrase back in anger or retaliation.
The members of the Jiufang family who were voicing out their discontent and unhappiness over Jiufang Yu’s defeat had all shut up as well, no longer able to say that Jiufang Yu had only lost due to his carelessness. Jiufang Yu and Xiao Donglai’s strength were around the same level, so since Yun Che had defeated Xiao Donglai in a mere five rounds of exchanges, even if Jiufang Yu had fought with his all… the result would have also been a huge loss under Yun Che’s hands!
They had completely predicted Yun Che’s strength wrongly.
No! It was just that Yun Che’s strength had completely defied their logic!
If one could defeat someone who was one level higher in the Tyrant Profound Realm, he would have had to be an unparallelled genius. The ultimate profound handle of the Yun Family could, at its limits, allow them to release strength two Tyrant Profound levels higher than their own. There was a huge gap between the strength of each level of the Tyrant Profound Realm and the massiveness of this gap was something that talent could not easily overcome, unlike in the Spirit, Earth and Sky Profound Realms…
An early stage Overlord being on par with a mid-stage Overlord was already like a legend that had been actualized by no more than five people throughout the entire history of the Illusory Demon Realm.
As for a Throne being on par with an Overlord, that had never been seen or heard before.
Something like a person in the Sky Profound Realm being on par with someone in the Tyrant Profound Realm… and it was the middle levels of the Tyrant Profound Realm, was something that had never occurred before in all of history. If it were not for them seeing it for themselves today, even if it were told that by the most respectable person in the world, they would never have believed it.
But such a person was standing in front of them now. With a profound strength at only the tenth level of the Sky Profound Realm, he had beaten Xiao Donglai who was in the fourth level of the Tyrant Profound Realm… Furthermore it had only been five exchanges!
No one could imagine just how Yun Che could release such frightening strength when he was only in the Sky Profound Realm. Such a bizarre leap in strength was something that could only be described as “heaven defying”. At the very least, one must possess immeasurable talent to become capable of fighting across levels… Could one’s talent truly be this great, to such an extent?!
Duke Huai’s expression stiffened. Defeating Xiao Donglai head-on and severely injuring the defenseless Jiu Fangyu were two completely different concepts. His profound strength could not be faked and his strength was made clear in everyone’s eyes. At this point, even Duke Huai’s heart was completely filled with shock.
Hui Ran, who had always been looking down, uninterested, finally looked up and glanced at Yun Che He snorted, “Hmph, seems a bit interesting now.”
“This brat’s strength is indeed a bit exaggerated. It seems like Chiyang Yanwu might not necessarily be his match.” The number two of the Illusory Demon Seven Scions, Duke Yuan Que, commented with a smile as he narrowed his eyes.
Behind him, Duke Hui Ye looked sullen as he stared at Yun Che for a while before laughing coldly, “This duke also hopes that Chiyang Yanwu loses to him as well. If that happens, this duke can personally… cripple him!!”
“Oh!” Duke Yuan Que turned his head around and said, “Speaking of which, this Yun Che brat seemed to have spoiled your grand plans a month ago. This is indeed a great chance. Heh, this duke originally thought that we wouldn’t have to appear on stage, but it looks like this game has suddenly become very interesting. I hope that this brat won’t be burnt into ashes by Chiyang Yanwu’s flames, otherwise, it would spoil your fun.”
“Don’t worry.” Duke Hui Ye laughed eerily, “Falling into Chiyang Yanwu’s hands is probably not much more comfortable than falling into my hands. That woman is extremely vicious. Even though this duke would lose the joy of doing it personally, I can at least save my energy and wouldn’t have to dirty my hands!”
Chapter 557 - Chiyang Yanwu
“If nothing goes wrong, Che’er’s next opponent is probably the Chiyang Family’s daughter,” Mu Yurou softly said, her face revealing some worry.
“No need to worry.” Yun Qinghong placed his hands on Mu Yurou’s hands and consoled, “Although the strength of the Chiyang Family lass is far superior to that of Jiufang Yu and Xiao Donglai, Che’er has not used his full strength yet. Even now, he has not used his weapon.”
“Dad, do you know what weapon Big Brother uses? I have never seen Big Brother use his weapon and always thought that he wasn’t proficient in using them,” Xiao Yun asked.
Yun Qinghong shook his head, recalling the heavy whistling sound that came from when Yun Che was in the practice room, he replied softly, “It’s not that your big brother is not proficient in weapons, if I haven’t guessed wrongly, he probably specializes in some sort of heavy weapon.”
“Heavy weapon?” Xiao Yun stared widely.
“It is not because your Big Brother is careless that he has not utilized his weapon until now; it is probably because the weapon he specializes in is very taxing to use.” Yun Qinghong looked at Yun Che who was on stage and calmly said, “It’s obvious that he is considering the circumstances ahead and is trying to minimize his energy consumption. Naturally, only when he feels his opponent is strong enough to threaten him would he take out his weapon.”
At this point, a fiery-red figure was now standing in front of Yun Che.
It was the figure of a gorgeous, tall young woman. She had scarlet hair and even her beige-colored skin had a hidden tint of red. She was Chiyang Yanwu of the Chiyang Family!
When Chiyang Yanwu went onto the stage, all the boys in the hall instantly cheered. Although her looks were considered pretty, they were not divine. However, she dressed wildly and seductively. Her top was a short, tight-fitting leather shirt and her bottom was a pair of short and tight high-waisted leather pants. The outline of her breasts, arms, stomach and thighs were completely revealed and many young men’s eyes sparkled as they salivated upon seeing them.
Chiyang Yanwu was obviously very used to such attention and noises as she held her head high, acting noble like a cat and arrogant like a peacock.
Being from a race of true dragons, the Chiyang Family had always possessed the nobility and arrogance of their bloodline. Among the Twelve Families, the Chiyang Family’s strength was ranked third and only paled in comparison to the Helian and the Su Family. As Chiyang Family’s strongest within the young generation, Chiyang Yanwu was even a female, and the only daughter of the Patriarch Chiyang Bailie; no matter her identity, race, or strength, she naturally had the rights to be arrogant. Even when facing Yun Che who had easily defeated Jiufang Yu and Xiao Donglai, her arrogance… or perhaps more accurately, insolence, did not lessen even one bit.
“Two useless men, simply lost our Guardian Families’ face.” Chiyang Yanwu’s scarlet eyebrows were upturned and although she was muttering to herself, her voice was not soft. Jiufang Yu and Xiao Donglai could clearly hear what she had just said. She removed the scarlet whip from her waist and swung it, which caused sparks to fly and invoked a deafening “PAH” sound, “You are called Yun Che? If you do not want to lose too repulsively, honestly take out your weapon. This princess does not want to be bothered with bullying an unarmed man.”
Every word Chiyang Yanwu uttered was filled with deep arrogance and Yun Che could detect the aura of a true dragon from her body. The dragon was the king of all beasts and no matter human or demon, under such an aura, it did not matter how strong someone was; they would instinctively feel a sense of fear… However, Yun Che naturally would not, because in him was the bloodline of the Primordial Azure Dragon. Simply comparing the dragon breath, the Scorching Sunfire Dragon was not even fit to compare with the Primordial Azure Dragon.
Facing the arrogant Chiyang Yanwu, Yun Che did not take out his weapon. Instead, he folded his arms in front of his chest and leisurely said, “I’m the opposite, I like to bully girls holding weapons while barehanded.”
“Hehehehe…” Yun Che’s posture caused Chiyang Yanwu to laugh. Her laughter was clear and ear-piercing. She swung her whip and said with contempt, “Yun Che, do you think that just by simply defeating two male trash, you can act so insolently in front of me, Chiyang Yanwu? In my, Chiyang Yanwu’s, entire life, no one of the same level has ever been able to beat me. When you die miserably later, don’t say that I didn’t warn you!”
Yun Che crooked his mouth and said, “You’re a lady and yet you’re born so arrogant that you’ve barely looked at anyone without conceit. Looks like your family never disciplined you properly. Never mind, today, let me help your family discipline you a little. At least, next time when you talk to people, you’ll be more reserved!”
“Discipline me? In the entire Illusory Demon Realm, there is not a man capable of disciplining me.” Chiyang Yanwu’s eyes narrowed as she said, “As for you, you dare speak in such a manner towards me. I shall make you kneel down and beg for forgiveness today!”
“This Chiyang lass’ temper is really as the rumours say,” Yun Qinghong plainly said.
“She is the sole daughter of Chiyang Bailie and also the strongest from the current generation of the Chiyang Family. Within the entire Demon Imperial City, there is no one of the same age, male or female, who is her match. Furthermore, with the temperament of a teenage girl, her behaving superciliously was only a natural thing.”
“With such temperament, she would suffer losses sooner or later,” Yun Qinghong calmly said. After he spoke, he frowned slightly and sent a sound transmission to Yun Che, “Che’er, don’t underestimate your opponent. Your opponent, Chiyang Yanwu, possesses the bloodline of a true dragon and was thus innately born with a strong physique and the power of dragon flames. The whip in her hand is known as the ‘Fiend Dragon Solar Whip.’ Although it looks simple, it is actually a Tyrant Profound Artifact and one of the greatest artifacts the Chiyang Family possesses. Even without injecting profound energy into it, it can move mountains, crack boulders and even fill the skies with dragon flame… You must be careful not to get hit by it!”
Yun Che nodded slightly in reply to Yun Qinghong’s sound transmission and when he looked, Chiyang Yanwu had already flown into the air. Her body ignited a deep, purple dragon flame which soared into the air and in an instant, completely covered the entire ceiling of the hall; it was as though a curtain of purple flames had been pulled down from the ceiling.
Although Chiyang Yanwu acted and spoke arrogantly, when she attacked, she already used nearly all her strength. It seemed that she didn’t dare to act to carelessly and look down on Yun Che, who had defeated Jiufang Yu and Xiao Donglai. Seeing how she attacked, members of the Chiyang Family heaved a sigh of relief… Even though Chiyang Yanwu was usually very arrogant, she did indeed have the strength to be so. Since she had used her full strength, there was no reason why she would lose to Yun Che… Furthermore, she still wielded the Fiend Dragon Solar Whip that even a high-level overlord would be worried about!
“Yun Che, open your doggy eyes and let me show you the difference between us!!!”
Whoosh!!!
When Chiyang Yanwu swung the Fiend Dragon Solar Whip in her hand, numerous flames shot out, which turned into swift, purple-colored flame dragons. Along with the dragon flame that filled the sky, her whip rushed towards Yun Che, with her figure followed swiftly behind the dragon flame. An extremely deep, purple flame was ignited on the entire Fiend Dragon Solar Whip.
The air around the flame dragons distorted severely and the tens of thousands of people behind Yun Che all felt a scorching heat wave approaching them, which nearly burnt their organs, causing them to scream in shock.
Although they were so far away, the effects were still so obvious; it was not hard to imagine just how frightening the dragon flame was.
Yun Che’s hair and shirt were swept up by the scorching heat waves, yet he did not retreat one step. Swinging his hands, his entire body shined with a blue glow as he released the Frozen End Divine Arts with full strength.
Crack. Crack. Crack. Crack. Crack…
The sound of the ice materializing was extremely ear-piercing and the twenty-odd flame dragons all froze over quickly when they were within fifteen meters from Yun Che. Following the spread of the blue glow, the solidifying of the ice spread at a frightening pace, turning each purple-colored flame dragon into blue-colored ice dragons.
“Damn! Even… Even dragon flame can be frozen!” Upon seeing this scene, Mu Yubai directly jumped up. If even he had such a reaction, one could only imagine the level of shock the other members of the Mu Family were experiencing.
This was also the first time Chiyang Yanwu had experienced such a scene in her life. She was slightly stunned, and her expression changed faintly. With a shout, the dragon flame once again ignited and the figure of a scarlet dragon appeared prominently behind her. Then, among the dragon flame in the air, three of the flame dragons forcefully broke out of the ice seal and rushed straight at Yun Che.
Boom!
The hall shook, as though three meteors had fallen from the sky. Flames soared upwards and among the exploding flames, Yun Che jumped to a great height. Just as he stabilized himself, a scarlet figure flashed in front of him and the Fiend Dragon Solar Whip filled the sky with whip shadows. The whip shadows brought along scattering purple flames that covered Yun Che as though it were pouring rain.
Yun Che focused his gaze and he used Star God’s Broken Shadow to move instantly, causing all of the whip shadows to hit nothing but thin air. Yun Che attacked with one hand, sending out a frozen lotus that instantly passed through the dense dragon flame and whip shadows, then exploded in front of Chiyang Yanwu’s chest.
Ping!!
Chiyang Yan backflipped and lost balance, but she still forcefully swung the Fiend Dragon Solar Whip in her hands. The whip itself was three meters long but at that instant, it suddenly grew to thirty meters long and lashed out viciously onto the body of a shocked Yun Che.
The whip in Chiyang Yanwu’s hands was the Fiend Dragon Solar Whip; it could even a mountain in one lash. The sound produced when the whip lashed onto Yun Che was so deafening that everyone’s hearts pounded violently. Yun Che was also, without a doubt, sent flying by this lash.
“Che’er!” Mu Yurou stood up instantly and anxiously shouted. Regarding the Chiyang Family’s Fiendish Dragon Solar Whip, she was very clear on how frightening a lash was.
Yun Qinghong quickly held her hand as he gradually frowned.
Seeing Yun Che being sent flying by the lash, the entire hall cried with shock and members of the Chiyang Family smiled slightly. Previously, when the Scorching Sun Dragon Flame was being largely encased in ice by Yun Che, they were shocked. However, no matter how eerie his ice profound skill was, this lash would cause him to at least lose half his life. During this competition, Yun Che had indeed caused a small commotion, but now it was time for everything to end.
However, just as their smiles appeared, their faces had become serious once more.
Yun Che, who had been sent flying by the lash, did not roll on the floor pathetically like they had expected. Instead, he spun in midair and landed casually. The lash landed on the right side of his back and the clothing there was completely torn, revealing a foot-long red mark on his skin, which was more white and tender than a woman’s. His hand stretched to his back and touched the red mark as he continuously hissed, “Sss… Ow! Owowowow… It’s really painful!”
The previous cries of surprise instantly disappeared as everyone had been dumbfounded, especially the Chiyang Family, whose members stared with mouths agape, their chins about to hit the floor.
Chapter 558 - No Surrendering, Okay~?
Not only was the Fiend Dragon Solar Whip’s name was well-known within Demon Imperial City, it was also reputed in the whole Illusory Demon Realm. An Overlord wielding the Fiend Dragon Solar Whip could guide the power of the Fiend Dragon and the strength of the sun, and could easily sweep mountains flat, even break fine iron into pieces. If it were used to whip the body of a mid-stage Overlord, even with the lightest strength, it would cause a deep bloody scar or break a large surface of bone and take half their life away.
But on Yun Che’s body, there was only an extra red mark… on the red mark, not a single drop of blood was seen!
Everyone who had heard the great name “Fiend Dragon Solar Whip” was thinking the same five words in their mind: how could this be possible!
Was it possible that Yun Che’s body was even stiffer than ten thousand year-old fine iron?!
Or… did Chiyang Yanwu fail to use enough strength just now?
This was perhaps the only explanation.
They never would’ve thought that not only did Yun Che’s body have the Dragon God’s bloodline, he also had the protection of the strength of heaven and earth, and had been through a tempering thousands of times scarier than hell. Those eighteen months on the Primordial Profound Ark… even though eighteen months were short to a strong, powerful profound practitioner, those eighteen months of tempering for Yun Che’s body were still incomparable to thousands of years for ordinary profound practitioners. Within those eighteen months, Yun Che’s profound strength had advanced by leaps and bounds, and his body was refined until he was almost to the extent of abnormal. At the moment, his profound strength was far from the realm of Monarch, but even if his body withstood an all-out attack from an early-stage Monarch, it would be impossible to take his life… and it would even be unknown whether or not he would be seriously injured from it.
His healing ability was so strong that even late-stage Monarchs would find it difficult to attain.
Besides, this was only a Tyrant Profound Weapon in the hands of a mid-stage Overlord.
It surprised him a little that this Fiend Dragon Solar Whip was able to leave a red mark on him… Of course, what he was surprised about was different than what everyone else was surprised about.
“You little hussy! I had been merciful to you, but you dare to lash me… If today I don’t lash you back, my last name will not be Yun!”
Yun Che gritted his teeth, flew up, and initiated an attack on Chiyang Yanwu. Dozens of Frozen End lotuses bloomed in the air, spinning as they pounded toward Chiyang Yanwu.
As the master of the Fiend Dragon Solar Whip, Chiyang Yanwu knew best about the power of the Tyrant Profound Weapon in her hand. When she saw Yun Che, who had merely complained that it hurt without bleeding a single drop after getting struck by the whip, it was the first time in her life that she felt so unsettled and worried… Usually, she would drag her father Chiyang Bailie to fight and exchange pointers. This whip on Chiyang Bailie’s body, was a similar red mark like that.
His body… for it to be comparable to Father’s…
That’s impossible! Absolutely impossible! He was only about twenty years old, and he seemed to be younger than herself… And her own father, was a Monarch who could look down on the heavens, how could they be compared with each other!
It must be because that lash wasn’t solid enough out of hurry… That must be it!
Chiyang Yanwu raised her head up high, held tightly onto her Fiend Dragon Solar Whip, as flames rose from her entire body. Following her deep roar, red scales appeared clearly on the back of both of her hands and above her forehead. Even her hair grew out speedily; in a blink of an eye, it was three times longer than before, and danced freely in the rising dragon flames.
The dragon aura around her, along with the flame aura, was completely doubled from before.
At the same time, the flames on her body quickly spread. Within the time of one short breath, it radiated all over the range of the arena, and turned the arena a deep purple. It was as if they fell into a purple flame purgatory, and in this purgatory, hundreds of red flame dragons quickly formed and danced carelessly.
“This is the Chiyang Family’s Scorching Sun Domain. Chiyang Yanwu is going to use all her strength!” Someone shouted with surprise from the sidelines.
“I have already completely mastered my Scorching Sun Domain! You… are not even a small Throne, so it’s impossible for you to use your domain arts to cancel out my domain. In this limited arena area, if you leave the domain, you will lose, but if you stay in it, you will die!” Chiyang Yanwu yelled as she laughed coldly while the Scorching Sun Domain built up. Yun Che’s ice lotuses all melted before they could touch her body.
Fire-attribute domains were mostly attack type domains, and the Scorching Sun Domain was no exception. The high temperature within the domain alone was enough to melt profound iron, and the fire dragons dancing chaotically in the domain could directly take the enemy into the deep abyss of death… But, forget about Chiyang Yanwu who was only a mid-stage Overlord, even if a high-level Monarch who could look down upon all of Illusory Demon Realm had cast this domain, it couldn’t hurt a single hair on Yun Che’s head.
Yun Che stood in the same spot, silently watching Chiyang Yanwu waste her energy. He reached out his palm, and a blue light suddenly flashed in the center of his palm.
“Tree of Frozen End!!”
In the center of the arena, which was also the center of Scorching Sun Domain, a large, sturdy, and strong Tree of Frozen End rose from the ground, growing at an incredible speed within the dark purple flame domain. A severe frozen aura also followed as the Tree of Frozen End grew and spread. Even though it was growing in a world of flames and high temperature, it insolently pressured the high temperature beneath itself, forcefully freezing the fire and the dancing dragons… it even abruptly tore open a large hole in the center of the Scorching Sun Domain.
“Wh…what?!” The Chiyang Family’s Patriarch Chiyang Bailie stood up immediately as he stared at that ice-crystal tree in the middle of the Scorching Sun Domain with an expression full of shock. That ice crystal was clearly releasing an aura of the Sky Profound Realm, but the thickness was no less than that of a mid-stage Overlord; its profound energy aura was almost the same as the Scorching Domain. But even though they were even, it was standing arrogantly in the Scorching Sun Domain.
The only explanation was that the level of this ice-attribute profound art was far stronger than their Chiyang Clan’s Dragon Flame!
“This… this is unbelievable.” Mu Yubai widened his eyes, and even his voice was trembling, “What kind of profound art is this! This strong ice-attribute profound art, I felt that its level isn’t lower than the Demon Emperor Clan’s Golden Crow Flame… Why haven’t I ever heard of this before?!”
“This Yun Che, what background does he have?! He only used one profound skill and completely dissolved Chiyang Yanwu’s Scorching Sun Domain!” Many of the audience lost control and yelled in surprise.
Even though they were in the Scorching Sun Domain, what Chiyang Yanwu felt was a wave of piercing cold. That large Tree of Frozen End was standing right in the sea of flames just like that, without any sign of melting; on the contrary, it was slowly starting to swallow up the Scorching Sun Domain. Her pupils shrank continuously. Then, she suddenly gritted her teeth, shouted, and swung the Fiend Dragon Solar Whip, abruptly whipping it towards Yun Che.
It was clear that her Scorching Sun Dragon Flames were losing miserably in front of Yun Che’s Frozen End Divine Arts, so if she wanted to beat Yun Che now, she could only rely on the Fiend Dragon Solar Whip in her hand.
She swung her wrist, made a slight movement, and instantly brought a whole sky of red whip shadows. Yun Che had experienced the power of the whip just now, so of course he wouldn’t dare let himself get hit by it… whipping his body was one thing, but if he wasn’t cautious and it whipped on his face, then it would be no joke!
If Yun Che had his heavy sword in his hand when facing these ten thousand whip shadows, he would only have needed to defend it by placing his sword horizontally without even needing to open his eyes, but with his bare hands, he naturally couldn’t be as careless. He immediately retreated backwards, and moved quickly under the shrouding of the whip shadows. Afterimages swept one after another, Star God’s Broken Shadow was used in coordination with Extreme Mirage Lightning, and Chiyang Yanwu’s whip shadows blotted out the sky. But after continuous thousands of whip shadows, none touched his hair at all, and the crowd offstage were all stunned seeing this.
“His profound art and movement skills are all incredibly strong.” Yun Qinghong couldn’t help but be deeply impressed, “Yun Che’s master must be remarkable.”
“Indeed.” Mu Yurou’s hand was still on the location of her heart, but there was no nervous expression on her face, only surprise, joy, and pride. She knew that it was already impossible for Yun Che to lose this battle.
“Flame Dragon’s Fury!!”
Maintaining the Scorching Sun Domain while also attacking with all her strength, caused Chiyang Yanwu to already be out of breath with flushed red cheeks. On the other hand, even though Yun Che had been dodging this whole time, he was calm and didn’t seem to be tired at all. Chiyang Yanwu gritted her teeth angrily, and the silhouette of a dragon above her body flashed. The sky was overrun with the shadows of whips overlapping each other, which then transformed into a thirty-three meter-long furious flame dragon that angrily crashed towards Yun Che.
BOOM!!!
The flame was more than thirty-three meters high, and the incredibly rock-hard profound jade floor was actually cracked with a dark deep scar. Yun Che flashed with speed into the air and dodged this attack, but following this, he felt the surrounding Scorching Sun Domain suddenly riot. He raised his head, then saw the entire Scorching Sun Domain completely collapse in an instant. All the purple flames and flame dragons within the domain came towards him crazily.
“Che’er, be careful!” Mu Yurou’s body tensed, as she yelled out of nervousness.
This woman, actually plays dirty… Yun Che scoffed in disdain. His arms opened, and the blue light on his body flickered. The area surrounding him up to thirty-three meters away immediately became a frost-blue world of ice. As soon as any of the purple flames and flame dragons approached, they were immediately frozen. Not a single lick of flame could touch his body.
Just as he was supporting the Frozen End Divine Arts, the Fiend Dragon Solar Whip came from one of the corners of the surrounding sea of flame and instantly crossed the thirty-three meter distance. The tip of the whip was like a poisonous snake sticking out its tongue, as it aimed straight for Yun Che’s right eye.
Yun Che had already experienced the Fiend Dragon Solar Whip’s extension, so he was prepared for it long ago. However, once noticing where the whip was attacking, he tightened his eyebrows, and fury started burning in his heart.
Originally, he thought this woman was only arrogant… he didn’t think that her heart would be so vicious!
This time Yun Che didn’t dodge. He reached out his palms with lightning speed and directly grabbed on the Fiend Dragon Solar Whip that was lashing out to him. Seeing Yun Che’s actions, Chiyang Yanwu stuttered, and then started laughing coldly, “It’s your own death wish!”
PAH!!
A loud shocking sound. The Fiend Dragon Solar Whip hit right in the center of Yun Che’s palm, and under everyone’s shocked gazes, he just grabbed onto it. In the next instant, the Fiend Dragon Solar Whip suddenly burned with purple flames, and it immediately spread onto Yun Che’s entire arm. Before Chiyang Yanwu had even gotten the chance to laugh proudly, the purple flame on Yun Che’s arm suddenly extinguished. It didn’t matter how much profound energy she tried to instill, it wasn’t able to burn again.
Yun Che grabbed onto the other end of the Fiend Dragon Solar Whip, then forcefully wrapped and jerked on his end. With his strength so great, how could Chiyang Yanwu defend? On top of that, she had already exhausted a large amount of her profound energy. Under this strength that she couldn’t defend against, she lost hold of the Fiend Dragon Solar Whip. It made a red half-arc in the air, got grabbed by Yun Che into his hands, and he immediately whipped it down.
Having lost her weapon, Chiyang Yanwu was suddenly at a loss. When the Fiend Dragon Solar Whip came towards her in the air, she screamed in surprise, and tried to dodge backwards with all her strength. The Fiend Dragon Solar Whip missed, but she didn’t have the chance to take a breath before a current of cold air suddenly came from underneath her feet, causing her entire body to stiffen. Immediately after, another Tree of Frozen End started growing speedily, its ice-crystal leaves and branches spreading and trapping her within.
At this moment, Yun Che swung out the whip that was in his hands again. It went through the layers of ice-crystal leaves and branches with extreme precision, and severely whipped her bottom that was wrapped tightly by her fire-red leather pants, producing a crisp, loud “PAH” sound.
“This whip is for when you whipped me before!” Yun Che said viciously as he reeled the whip back.
The sound of the crisp whipping resounded in the entire hall, followed by Chiyang Yanwu’s scream. The hall which was originally noisy immediately became quiet. Everyone was completely stunned. Especially the young generation’s elites in Demon Imperial City; their eyes widened so much their eyeballs almost popped out.
Chiyang Yanwu, who never put any man in her eyes, the most arrogant Chiyang Princess in the entire Demon Imperial City, was in this Demon Imperial Hall, with everyone watching… being whipped on the butt by someone!!
And the sound of the whip was so loud!
Yun Che naturally wouldn’t use too much strength, so he only whipped off her protective profound energy to hurt her a little, but the pants weren’t even ripped from the whip. Chiyang Yanwu’s bottom felt hot, spicy pain, but even if it hurt ten times more, it couldn’t be compared to a tenth of a thousandth of the humiliation she was feeling in her heart. From when she was a child to when she grew up, Chiyang Yanwu was held in the palms of the entire family. She was admired by every men and women. No matter where she went, she was a proud peacock, bearing countless men’s ashamed gazes of inferiority as well as gazes of reverence… but today, a man who was holding her whip, whipped her butt in front of everyone.
“Yun Che, you bas…”
Chiyang Yanwu didn’t even finish yelling when Yun Che whipped again. “PAH” as it whipped on the other half of her butt.
“This whip is for when you wanted to viciously destroy my eye before!” Yun Che’s hand swung, and dashingly pulled back the whip. Even though the spiritual consciousness and intelligence of the whip made it so it was a bit restless in his own hands, when he wielded it… using it seemed to be pretty smooth.
“Yun Che… I’m going to kill you!!”
This type of humiliation made Chiyang Yanwu scream viciously. Her body violently started to struggle in the restraining Tree of Frozen End, but when the dragon flame managed to light up, it was immediately extinguished. Meanwhile, the Tree of Frozen End’s leaves and branches were quickly spreading this whole time, becoming more dense. No matter how much she struggled, she couldn’t get out of it at all.
Yun Che swung the whip in his hand, looked at her out of the corner of his eyes, and said, “You can surrender now.”
“K… Kill me if you have what it takes!. Even if I die… I will not surrender to a bastard like you!!” Chiyang Yanwu’s face was burning red, her chest almost exploded with anger, and she was still struggling all she could. Her eyes were staring at Yun Che viciously, and it seemed like she wished she could burn him to ashes with her gaze.
“Oh, very well! I admire your personality.” Yun Che nodded, smiling, “If you say so… then… no surrendering later, okay~?”
Amidst soft laughter, Yun Che leisurely swung up the whip. Another “PAH” of a whip hit Chiyang Yanwu’s bottom, and this whip made a moderate rip in her short leather pants.
“Yun Che… There’ll be a day when I’ll tear you to pieces!!” Chiyang Yanwu was like an enraged female leopard as she roared at the top of her lungs.
Yun Che pretended to not hear it, and whipped again all cheerfully, “Don’t surrender… No surrendering, okay~!”
This lash, finally made Chiyang Yanwu drop a tear. She clearly felt that her pants that tightly wrapped on her butt had started to rip.
“I don’t know when you’ll be able to tear me to pieces.” Yun Che was playing with the whip as he indecently smiled and said, “But what I am sure of is, a few more of these lashes and your clothes will be all ripped to pieces. At that time, everyone would be able to see your, Chiyang Princess’, body… What do you say, how much do you think they will thank me?! Oh, right. You said you’ll never surrender, then please, never surrender!”
After saying that, Yun Che’s wrist moved, and another whip swung over. A loud, crisp “PAH” sound made another rip in the other half of her leather pants.
“You… you… I will kill you… I will definitely kill you!!” No matter how stubborn, how arrogant Chiyang Yanwu was, at this moment, her voice obviously carried a hint of a crying tone. She looked at Yun Che with seventy percent anger, and twenty percent killing intent… and ten percent obvious begging.
“Enough!!”
With a deep voice that resounded with anger, a fiery-red figure suddenly flew from the Chiyang Family’s seats and instantly came to Chiyang Yanwu’s side. This person was also in red clothing and had fiery-red hair. It was obviously the Chiyang Patriarch, who was also Chiyang Yanwu’s father, Chiyang Bailie.
His daughter was humiliated with everyone watching. Even if he had been ten times as well-mannered, he simply couldn’t endure it any longer. Chiyang Bailie’s palm waved, and the large Tree of Frozen End that sealed Chiyang Yanwu immediately vaporized and disappeared. Chiyang Yanwu, whose body was frozen stiff, fell on Chiyang Bailie’s body. Her nose wrinkled, and she finally found a place for her to vent all of her anger, humiliation, and frustration, “Father! Kill him for me… I want to tear him into pieces, I want to… want to…”
“Silence!” Chiyang Bailie yelled angrily, “Do you think it’s not humiliating enough?!”
“Uu…” Chiyang Yanwu was usually rarely scolded by Chiyang Bailie, and she also knew that she humiliated her clan today. Her eyes immediately became red and she stopped making any sounds. When she looked at Yun Che, her eyes were still filled with the expression of bloodlust… her reputation that she had built up all her life was all thoroughly thrown away because of Yun Che today.
Chiyang Bailie’s face was extremely unsightly, but the reason Chiyang Yanwu lost to Yun Che was because she wasn’t as good as him. With everyone watching, he couldn’t even be mad. He turned to Yun Che, reached out his palm with a stiff expression and said, “Hand it over.”
Even a fool would know Chiyang Bailie was asking for the Fiend Dragon Solar Whip that Yun Che had snatched from Chiyang Yanwu’s hands, but Yun Che’s expression was filled with confusion as he replied, “Hand it over? Hand what over?”
Chapter 559 - Duke Huai’s Murderous Intent
Chiyang Bailie’s brows sunk and his eyes glinted with a dangerous light, “Why? Could it be that you are harboring the delusion that you can seize my clan’s Solar Whip?”
“Oh, you’re talking about this whip?” It was now that Yun Che looked up in sudden realization. He tossed the Fiend Dragon Solar Whip over to Chiyang Bailie with a casual flick of his hand, “This whip’s not bad, especially when it’s used to whip someone’s buttocks; the sound it makes is very crisp and satisfying indeed.”
The vast majority of the people in the great hall burst out into laughter. With a single sentence from Yun Che, one of the Chiyang Family’s three ultimate weapons was reduced to a tool used to whip buttocks. Chiyang Yanwu was already furious with embarrassment and once she heard these words, her fury and embarrassment rose to new heights. If not for the fact that she had been whipped by Yun Che to the point where she was scared stiff, she wouldn’t even have been able to restrain herself and have it out with him, “You… You!!”
Yun Che pretended as if he did not even notice Chiyang Yanwu’s murderous gaze and looked like he was minding his own business before he continued, “Even though this whip isn’t bad, I would never ever have the courage to ‘seize’ it. Recently, I have been perusing the annals of the ten thousand year history of this Illusory Demon Realm, and within these records, I seem to remember that there was a mention that the Fiend Dragon Solar Whip was gifted to the Chiyang Family by the third Demon Emperor. So it seems that the Demon Emperor Clan has truly held the Chiyang Family in high regard all this time.”
“Hmph!” Chiyang Bailie kept the Fiend Dragon Solar Whip and said coldly, “The Demon Emperor Clan has always held our Chiyang Family in the highest regard and the debt of gratitude that we owe to them is as heavy as mountains…”
“Oh!!” Yun Che exclaimed loudly, “Since Patriarch Chiyang knows that the Demon Emperor Clan has always held the Chiyang Family in the highest regard and that the Chiyang Family owes a great deal to the Demon Emperor Clan, it only naturally follows that the Chiyang Family would be deeply grateful, loyal, and devoted towards the Demon Emperor Clan. Also, the annals of Illusory Demon Realm clearly illustrates the rise and development of the Chiyang Family, and pardon this junior for saying something displeasing to the ear, but if not for the original Demon Emperor and several of the great Guardian Families using their entire strength to assist your Chiyang Clan, your clan would have perished at the hands of the Mokui Clan ten thousand years ago.”
“Not only was your clan rescued by the Demon Emperor, he even led the Chiyang Family and conquered everything under heaven with you by his side. Because of that, your family became a Guardian Family which ruled over the heavens and radiated might and prestige. For the past ten thousand years, your Chiyang Family has belonged the highest echelons of the Illusory Demon Realm… ah, and they even bequeathed unto you the Fiend Dragon Solar Whip, a great weapon known throughout the realm… This great favor shown to the Chiyang Family by the Demon Emperor Clan, even ten thousand lifetimes would not be enough to repay it!” Yun Che exclaimed with fervor, “If there is a ever a day that the seed of disloyalty is birthed in your Chiyang Family, that you forget your ancestors and your loyalty to become ungrateful and disloyal, that will surely provoke a universal disdain of the entire realm for your clan. Indeed, it is a contemptible act that would not be washed clean even in ten thousand lifetimes, an act that cannot be tolerated by heaven and earth. Oh, of course, after enjoying the blessings from the Demon Emperor for the past ten thousand years, coupled with the fact that your family is one of the most outstanding Guardian Families, it’s definitely impossible for your clan to perform this kind of act that would shame your ancestors. But I was merely recalling the grand history of your Chiyang Family all of a sudden, so I reminisced for a while…. Oh? Patriarch Chiyang, why does your face suddenly look so bad? Could it be that this junior has said something wrong?”
Chiyang Bailie’s expression was indeed ugly to the extreme. Because the entire Demon Imperial City knew the true intentions of Duke Huai. When the Chiyang Family appeared at the east wing, they too had made their intentions clear. Yun Che’s words were undoubtedly a fierce rebuke directed towards the Chiyang Family, but under the eyes of all the heroes of the realm, he couldn’t muster a single response to this resounding rebuke. The blue veins on his arms stood out clearly as he coldly eyed Yun Che. He said in a deep voice, “The affairs of my Chiyang Clan are none of your business! You are not yet worthy to idly talk about us! Hmph!”
As he finished speaking, Chiyang Bailie pulled Chiyang Yanwu along and flew back to his seat… His daughter was disgraced for all to see, so as the Chiyang Family’s Patriarch, and even more importantly, as Chiyang Yanwu’s father, he should have greatly rebuked Yun Che, or at the very least given him a stern warning and a few fierce words. However, he had instead grabbed Chiyang Yanwu and left, as he was unwilling to exchange any further words with Yun Che… It was clear that this hidden scolding of Yun Che was extremely hard for Chiyang Yanwu to bear. “Ungrateful and disloyal,” “forgetting your ancestors and your loyalty,” “the universal disdain of the entire realm,” “a contemptible act that would not be washed clean even in ten thousand lifetimes,” “an act that cannot be tolerated by heaven or earth,” every single word used was a poisonous needle that pierced his very soul.
Once Chiyang Bailie had left, the west wing immediately exploded into thunderous applause and acclamation, three consecutive victories… It was the first time the west wing had three consecutive victories, and this was after they had suffered humiliating defeat after humiliating defeat. And it was three consecutive victories created solely by the last man standing, a turn of events that no one could have foreseen!
“Yun Che, that was a beautiful win!”
“This is practically… practically a miracle! He actually won again!”
“Just where did this Yun Che pop out from, how come I’ve never heard of his name before?!”
“It doesn’t matter what he was in the past, just based on the fact that he consecutively beat Jiufang Yu, Xiao Donglai and Chiyang Yanwu, from this day onwards, his name will shake the heavens.”
“Is his profound strength truly only at the Sky Profound Realm? This is simply too… too unbelievable.”
To all who were present, Yun Che’s three consecutive victories was a success that was more than sufficient to shake the entire Illusory Demon Realm. Because he did not beat just any random side character; he had defeated those who represented the pinnacle of strength among the young generation of the entire Illusory Demon Realm.
“The foster son that Yun Qinghong has taken in, he is simply incredible… simply way too incredible.” Su Xiangnan exclaimed repeatedly in shock, “Not only did he beat three people consecutively, he did so while sustaining basically no injuries. Moreover, it looks like he did not even use his full strength. Such a heaven-blessed genius, yet his name was unknown before now. He used such an incomparably tyrannical profound art, yet no one has ever heard of it… this child is definitely, absolutely extraordinary.”
“For a Sky Profound Realm practitioner to be so strong, this is indeed the first time I have seen it in my entire life.” Su Family’s Great Elder also exclaimed and he followed up with a low sigh and a shake of his head, “But his personality is simply too wild and unrestrained. He reprimanded Duke Huai, heavily injured Jiufang Yu and Xiao Donglai and he even humiliated Chiyang Yanwu, then subtly scolded the entire Chiyang Clan for the whole world to see… Such genius, but such lack of restraint. To flagrantly and publicly offend all of these people that even the Little Demon Empress would hesitate to have a falling out with, while winning three consecutive victories and heavily damaging their prestige… I am only afraid that this young genius who is completely unrestrained and offensive will meet an early end.”
“What Big Brother has just said is exactly what I am worried about.” Su Xiangnan said as he nodded his head. Yun Che miraculously won three consecutive victories and caused his opponents to suffer miserable defeats, causing the west wing, which had prepared to have their dignity trampled, to raise their heads once more. Su Xiangnan was in complete awe of Yun Che, and Yun Che also naturally moved his heart which appreciated talent and understood gratitude. Thus, he became worried about the possible situation that Yun Che might soon face, because it was as the Great Elder had said; even though Yun Che was brilliant and dazzling in this grand ceremony, he had fiercely offended one incredible person after the other, and he had even gone as far as to offend an entire family.
Su Xiangnan glanced at Yun Qinghong and became hesitant to speak the words he was about to say.
The Little Demon Empress’ expression had been cold and calm the entire time, as if it was encased in ice. It was only when she looked at Yun Che that a small and faint change occurred on her face… At the very least, her initial desire to kill Yun Che had lessened. And the weakening of her killing intent was because he had displayed a strength that had shocked all who were present, while his words clearly expressed his desire to protect and be loyal to the Demon Emperor Clan.
“Who’s next?!” Yun Che stood in the center of the arena, staring directly at the east wing; every single word was filled with a deep arrogance.
No one in the entire great hall still mocked or despised Yun Che as they had when he had first been introduced. Those who had mocked him without restraint were presently filled with embarrassment. Currently, there was only respect left in those gazes directed towards him, and his haughty words caused the blood of those seated in the west wing to surge, as he left them with an uninhibited and extreme feeling of exaltation after their complete and crushing defeat.
This was especially so for the disciples of the Yun Family. They had originally regarded Yun Che as an outsider and completely rejected this person who had suddenly become the Patriarch’s foster son. But at this time, what rejection would still be left towards Yun Che? Their entire beings were filled with admiration and respect as the feeling of shared prestige became unbearably intense.
As for those seated in the east wing, their expressions had naturally become extremely ugly, especially those young disciples, as rage and envy were clearly written on their faces.
“What is this Yun Che so arrogant about?! Does he think that just because he beat Chiyang Yanwu, he is unparalleled under heaven?!”
“His arrogance is about to come to an end! The three who have yet to battle on our side are the remaining three of the Illusory Demon Seven Scions! And any one of them could abuse him to the point where his own mother wouldn’t recognize him!”
“Hmph! Just let him be smug for a while. He offended Duke Huai and offended the Chiyang, Xiao, and Jiufang Families. His status is merely that of a wild punk from outside of Demon Imperial City. Whether he will still be breathing six hours after this ceremony is a matter that has yet to be confirmed!”
“Bloody hell! I wish that Duke Hui Ran would come out now and smash his mouth to pieces with a single punch… However, that is not a likely thing, because with Duke Hui Ran’s strength, he would not even want to trade blows with such an opponent. And with the presence of Duke Hui Ye and Duke Yuan Qiao, Duke Hui Ran won’t even have the opportunity to show off his skills.”
“Hmph! Whatever it is, there is definitely no possibility that we will lose. The only thing that grinds my gears is that we allowed this punk to have the honor of winning three consecutive times. However, the more he shows off, the worse the consequences will be. I reckon that whether it is Duke Hui Ye or Duke Yuan Qiao who steps on the stage, neither will hold back, and even if he were beaten half to death, he would still have been let off lightly! So let him be arrogant!”
Duke Huai’s expression was still completely placid, but a strange light had appeared in his eyes. When Yun Che had beaten both Jiufang Yu and Xiao Donglai, even though he had been stunned, he had not truly taken Yun Che seriously. However, he had just beaten Chiyang Yanwu without even expending too much of his strength. But what caused him the most concern were the words that he had said to Chiyang Bailie… From this moment on, he had no choice but to completely reevaluate Yun Che.
He was unable to find either hide or hair regarding Yun Che’s origins despite his own great power.
He’d also been sorely mistaken about Yun Che’s strength.
Moreover, he had immediately been accepted as the foster son of that Yun Qinghong after he had entered the Yun Family…
The previous scheme that was targeted at the Yun Family and the Under Heaven Family was also completely unravelled by him, to the point where it had been laid bare for all to see.
After he had comprehensively analyzed this person, Duke Huai was suddenly seized by a thought… this Yun Che just might be a completely unforeseen and unknowable variable!
His logic-defying talent and strength, that demeanor and sharpness that far surpassed his age, all caused Duke Huai to feel a clear sense of danger.
Duke Huai’s brows faintly sunk and the killing intent he felt towards Yun Che instantly intensified by tens of times. He lowered his head and sent a profound energy sound transmission to Duke Hui Ye, “Ye’er, kill him!”
Duke Hui Ye had already been prepared to set out for battle when he suddenly heard Duke Huai’s sound transmission. His brows jumped and his mouth faintly curved into a cruel smile. He looked in Duke Huai’s direction and gently nodded his head, after which, he bounded into the air to land in front of Yun Che. His face was full of smiles as he looked at Yun Che… and that gaze was filled with an unconcealed cruelty.
“Duke Hui Ye… It’s Duke Huai’s Palace’s Young Duke Hui Ye!”
“I never thought that he would actually force Duke Hui Ye to personally come out. Ah, it really doesn’t make me feel good. But at least this competition has finally come to an end.”
“Yun Che won three consecutive victories, but it seems like he hardly broke a sweat. Moreover, he hasn’t even used his weapon yet… Do you think that Yun Che might have a possibility of beating Duke Hui Ye?”
“Are you joking?! This is the one who is ranked number three among the Illusory Demon Seven Scions that we are talking about, Duke Hui Ye of Duke Huai Palace! The thickness of the royal blood that Duke Huai Palace possesses is second only to the Demon Emperor Clan! And all the dukes in Duke Huai’s palace have a strong bloodline that is second only to the Demon Emperor! And the profound art that they cultivate is the one recognized to be inferior only to the 《Golden Crow’s Record of the Burning World》, the ‘Fallen Flame Devil Art’. A practitioner of this art who is at the sixth level of the Tyrant Profound Realm has power that is equivalent to a level seven Tyrant Profound Realm practitioner from the Twelve Families. Even though it could be said that Yun Che easily beat Chiyang Yanwu, he also had to fight nearly one hundred rounds and at one point, he was nearly forced out of the arena by her. Now that Duke Huai has made his move, he won’t even last three rounds! So how can there be any possibility that he will lose to Yun Che?”
“That’s right. Do not compare any disciple of the Twelve Families to a duke from Duke Huai Palace. Yun Che is indeed strong to the point of absurdity, but there is no way he can be Duke Hui Ye’s match. At most, he might be able to force Duke Hui Ye to use his full strength.”
There was much discussion inside the hall. The unsightly looks on everyone’s faces in the east wing seats were gradually alleviated when they saw Duke Hui Ye enter the arena; they all revealed a cold smile… They believed that Yun Che’s previous public attention would cause Duke Hui Ye to treat him harshly and there was also the possibility him killing Yun Che. As for Duke Hui Ye losing to Yun Che… it was definitely impossible.
The cries from all those seated in the west wing suddenly went cold, as every single person seated there displayed varying degrees of anxiety on their face. Especially those seniors, once they thought of Duke Hui Ye’s temperament, their brows tightly knitted together.
“You have done pretty well. Honestly, this duke actually severely underestimated your strength. One month ago, when I saw you at the Yun Family household, I had thought that you were merely a little grasshopper who was beneath my notice. I really did not think that you would actually be able to force this duke to personally take the stage. I guess that you are somewhat adequate enough for privilege of making this duke take you seriously.”
Duke Hui Ye had a bland smile on his face as he said that, but Yun Che could perceive an incomparably clear killing intent from his eyes. This kind of clear killing intent told Yun Che that in the upcoming battle, Duke Hui Ye would definitely try to deal a killing blow to him.
Yun Che also smiled, “Duke Hui Ye, it’s better if you boast less. This kind of boasting, in my entire life, even if I have not heard it a thousand times, I have at least heard it eight hundred times. But in the end, every single one of them had slapped their own face without a single exception. Heh, and let me tell you, slapping your own face is very painful, you know.”
Chapter 560 - Fallen Flame Devil Art
“Be careful, the profound art this person cultivates seems a bit strange and the potency of his Golden Crow bloodline is one-fourth that of the Little Demon Empress. If you do not use your heavy sword, he will not be so easy for you to deal with,” Jasmine said out of the blue.
Jasmine was the one who was most clear about Yun Che’s true ability, so there was no way Yun Che would not take her warning seriously. Yun Che gave a gentle nod of his head in response.
After hearing Yun Che’s words, Duke Hui Ye gave a bland laugh, “This duke had always regarded himself as an arrogant man, but this is the first time in my life that I have ever seen someone that is actually more arrogant than I am. To think that this person would display such arrogance before this duke himself.”
Yun Che nodded his head and said in a most sincere voice, “I understand, I understand completely. Lord Hui Ye has probably never gone out of Demon Imperial City in his lifetime, so it is only natural that your knowledge and experience is narrow and shallow. There seems to be a few proverbs regarding this… they seem to be something along the lines of viewing the sky from the bottom of a well or having a ludicrous conceit as great as Yelang. These words simply fit you all too well. His Highness Hui Ye should learn some self-reflection and self-development, and after this, you should go out to see more of the world yourself. If not, even if you don’t mind being laughed at, the feeling of slapping your own face is really not a good feeling.”
If someone were to compare the experience between Yun Che and Hui Ye, Hui Ye would fall far short. In terms of his ability to scold or mock others, he would not even be able to touch the soles of Yun Che’s feet. The bland smile on his face stiffened instantly and a cold light flashed from his eyes as he said in a cold, disdainful voice, “If you had just remained an honest fool, this duke would not even deign to spare you a single glance. With your ability, you might be able to garner a bit of fame for yourself in the future. However, you insist on seeking your own death… and to continue speaking to a feckless fool such as yourself is simply a waste of my time and my breath… This duke is going to simply rip your mouth off!”
Duke Hui Ye’s right arm shot out with his hand in the shape of a claw as all the profound energy in his body surged. Before he had made any other movements, a cluster of reddish-black flames appeared in the air thirty-five meters in front of him and fiercely exploded towards Yun Che’s face.
The Golden Crow Flame was not an ordinary profound flame, so the color of its flames would not manifest the same changes that normal profound flames would as one’s profound strength rises. Low-grade Golden Crow Flames were the same as low-grade Phoenix Fire, as both would appear a scarlet red with some faint gold streaks mixed in it. The thicker one’s Golden Crow bloodline was, the thicker the gold color in the flames would be and the purest Golden Crow Flames were a pure golden color.
Duke Hui Ye possessed the Golden Crow bloodline, so he could naturally produce low-grade Golden Crow Flames, but the flames he had produced in this instant… were instead a strange crimson-black color! And it was the black color which was dominant. The flames speeding towards him did not cause Yun Che to feel a burning hot sensation; instead, they radiated a gloomy and sinister cold which pierced the bone and bored into the heart. Wherever those red-black flames landed, the incomparably tough and durable profound jade floor had instantly become charred black… This blackness was clearly not caused by scorching heat, but by corrosion!
Because the Illusory Demon Royal Family had the bloodline of the Golden Crow, they would all basically cultivate fire-based profound arts. So when Jasmine had previously warned Yun Che that the profound art that Duke Hui Ye cultivated was extremely strange… Right now, it looked like rather abnormal indeed.
“So this is the rumored Duke Huai Palace’s ‘Fallen Flame Devil Art’?”
“That is right! It is said that this Fallen Flame Devil Art is compatible with the Golden Crow Flames and its might is only inferior to the Golden Crow’s Record of the Burning World! Even though Duke Hui Ye is not yet thirty years old, it is reported that his rate of compatibility has reached a shocking seventy percent… And Duke Hui Ran has supposedly already reached a compatibility rate of ninety percent!”
Before the crimson-black flames had appeared, Yun Che had felt that there was an abnormal change in the airflow. Even though he experienced a moment of astonishment, his willpower did not waver in the slightest. Moreover, it was not the first time that he had seen flames of this color or felt such an aura. During the years he was being pursued by all the heroes of the Azure Cloud Continent, he had seen every kind of bizarre profound art. Forget about a crimson-black flame, he had even seen a pure black ghost flame, a blood-colored devouring flame and even a viridian poison flame quite a few times.
Yun Che thrust his palm out without hesitation and faced with the Frozen End Divine Arts, the crimson-black flames which were exploding towards him immediately came to a stop. After the flames struggled for less than half a breath, they were forcibly frozen over, and even the color of the flames was rapidly changing from red-black to crystal blue.
“Ah! Even Duke Hui Ye’s devil flames were sealed!” All of the people seated in the great hall gasped in astonishment.
Duke Hui Ye’s brows faintly moved and he subsequently gave a cold sneer. The crimson-black flames ignited all over his body and his extended five fingers spread out even wider. Immediately, an explosive roar which sounded like exploding thunder rang through the air and surging energy waves swelled up all around him. A cluster of raging crimson-black flames, which was a full three times larger than the previous cluster, flew through the air as it explosively rushed towards Yun Che. As the flames rippled and fluctuated, the cluster rapidly distorted into the shape of a gigantic skull. The skull opened its huge horrific mouth as it flew towards Yun Che, accompanied by a wretched hissing noise which sounded like the wailing of ghosts.
A cold and sinister aura instantly engulfed the entire great hall and those who had relatively weak profound strength felt their entire bodies tremble as even their eyes grew slack; it was as if their entire spirit had been brought into a sinister, cold hell.
“What… what is this profound art, it is truly dreadful!” Even though Xiao Yun had long ago heard of Duke Huai Palace’s ‘Fallen Flame Devil Art’, this was the first time that he had truly witnessed it. It gave off a gloomy and sinister sensation that should not be felt from any flame and it made him feel as if all the bones in his body were trembling. If just the aura of the flames alone was this dreadful, it would be hard for him to imagine how terrifyingly powerful these crimson-black flames really were.
The crimson-black fire skull did not only have an extremely strong burning and corrosive power, it could even directly invade your spirit. For an instant, Yun Che’s outlook turned ominous, but he immediately recovered his clarity and his brows slightly furrowed as his expression grew a shade more serious. He took a half step backwards, raised his hand, and pointed his finger in the air and a beam of blue light shot out to meet the onrushing flame skull. The crimson-black devilish flames formed an extremely clear contrast with the pure and spotless icy-blue light.
Crack…
The red-black sparks which were spread all around had begun to rapidly freeze over and the gigantic flame skull’s speed immediately became slower, gradually coming to a standstill. But this only lasted for half a breath. A noise that sounded like a devil’s cry abruptly surged and rang loudly in the air. The ice seal of the Frozen End Divine Arts was forcibly brushed aside as ice fragments filled the air. The skull emitted a sinister and gloomy roar which seemed to come from the depths of hell as it rushed directly at Yun Che’s face.
“Hahahaha!” Duke Hui Ye’s laughter rang through the air, “Your ice profound energy is indeed rather interesting, but if you want to seal this duke’s devil flames, you are simply delusional!”
As he faced the skull composed of devil flames which had broken through his Frozen End Divine Art, Yun Che’s eyes narrowed, but he did not retreat in a fluster. Instead, he shot his palm out and that palm thrust brought along an incomparably huge profound energy storm.
“Falling Moon Sinking Star!!”
Boom!!
The entire Demon Imperial Hall trembled fiercely as a profound energy storm exploded in the air and sent out violent surges of energy akin to a raging tsunami. If this was not the Demon Imperial Hall, but rather some normal hall, the aftershock of profound energy alone would have been enough to blast that place into complete rubble.
Under the raging profound energy storm, the flame skull which exuded that sinister aura completely burst apart. The red-black flames filled the air as they shot out, causing the roof and the floor of the hall to be riddled with a countless number of black scars due to the flames’ corrosive properties; the damaged areas resembled hornets’ nests.
Yun Che’s body had also been shot into the sky by the exploding flame skull and he flew for tens of meters before he landed on the ground stably. The clothes he was wearing had also become riddled with hundreds of holes of varying sizes, and the borders of these holes were all charred black. But no obvious wounds could be seen on his body; the only wound that was visible was a small spot of blackened flesh that appeared on the back of his right hand.
Given Yun Che’s ability to completely resist fire, with just a little more control, even the clothes on his body would not be destroyed by flames. However, Duke Hui Ye’s devil flames did not only consist of flames, it also contained a fearsome corrosive power. Even though he had destroyed the flame skull, he had also been hit by a large number of sparks. While these dispersed devil flames were not enough to harm him, they had reduced his clothes to tatters.
“He blocked it… Yun Che actually blocked it!”
The two combatants had only just started their fight, but the fearsomeness of the devil flames unleashed by Duke Hui Ye had caused many of the realm’s hegemons to pale in shock. But what caused the crowd to truly be flabbergasted was that the Yun Che who had created the miracle of three consecutive victories had actually managed to completely block such a fearsome flame!
Looking at the Yun Che, who looked almost completely unharmed despite being blasted away, a flash of alarm darted through the depths of Duke Hui Ye’s eyes. However, a cold sneer had appeared on his face instead, “Not bad, not bad. To actually be able to resist my devil flames at sixty percent of their power. It looks like this duke has truly underestimated you by quite a bit. However, seeing your current pathetic appearance, how much longer do you think you can still hold out?”
Red-black sparks were still falling to the ground, burning little holes in the floor with a hissing sound. Yun Che glanced at the black scar on the back of his hand and said in a bland voice, “The flames of the Golden Crow are the flames of a divine beast, but you actually fused it with such an evil and ominous devilish art. This is simply a profanity against the Golden Crow Flames. If I were your grand ancestor, the Golden Crow, I would definitely do some house cleaning!”
Duke Hui Ye was not enraged, but instead he gave a cold snort and said, “The flames of our Duke Huai Palace is not something that rubbish like you is worthy to discuss. The Fallen Devil Flame is a supreme profound art that is only inferior the Golden Crow’s Record of the Burning World in this realm. At this present time, the Golden Crow’s Record of the Burning World can no longer appear anymore. So my Duke Huai Palace’s Fallen Flame Devil Art combined with the Golden Crow Flames is already the strongest profound art in the Illusory Demon Realm. The strongest flames and the most unrivaled strength! In front of this duke’s flames, the only thing that you can do is to struggle and cry!”
“The strongest flame?” Yun Che laughed, “You think that your evil and devilish fire which has thoroughly sullied the Golden Crow Flames is worthy of being called the strongest flame?”
With soft grunt, Yun Che raised his arm and a scarlet-red phoenix fire started to burn brightly in his palm. With a fierce thrust of his palm, this phoenix fire morphed into a crimson arrow and this arrow let out the keen and splendorous cry of a phoenix as it shot towards Duke Hui Ye.
Yun Che’s body contained the Phoenix bloodline and the Phoenix Flames constituted a key part of his power. His heart also held a deep reverence and appreciation for the divine strength that was bestowed to him by the Phoenix Spirit. In front of him stood someone whose body contained a thin amount of the Golden Crow bloodline, yet this person had taken the Golden Crow Flame, which was at the same level as the Phoenix Flames, and combined it with a fiendish and sinister devil art; this caused an uncontrollable rage to be birthed in his heart.
“Fire? How… How can it be fire? Hasn’t Yun been using an ice-based profound art all this while, how can he suddenly ignite profound flames?”
“Could it be that Yun Che has also cultivated a fire-based profound art? This, this, this… Water and fire are two elements which completely restrain one another. To cultivate both fire-based and water-based profound arts at the same time, isn’t it highly likely to cause one’s profound energy to run wild, even cause extreme harm to one’s profound veins? Even if he has perfect control over both arts, only one profound art can be used at one time. Because not only is there no compatibility, there is also the danger that it may backfire at any time…”
When he saw that Yun Che had actually suddenly released profound fire, Duke Hui Ye’s first reaction was one of pure shock, but after that, he immediately began laughing wildly, “Hahahaha! To actually cultivate both ice-based and fire-based profound arts at the same time, to think that there was actually such a ridiculous fool that existed in this world! This duke’s eyes have truly been opened today… Moreover, your profound flame is a mere lowly red, yet you actually dare to display your incompetence in this duke’s presence.”
The lowest grade of profound flames were orange in color and the one which immediately followed was a scarlet-red. When most profound practitioners had reached the later stages of the Spirit Profound Realm, they could already ignite a blue-colored profound flame. So the red-colored flames released by Yun Che could not even amount to a joke in Duke Hui Ye’s eyes. As he wildly laughed, he casually extended his palm towards the scarlet-red flames which were streaking towards him…
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