Chapter 68: One Battle Shocks the City (Part 5)

Yun Che’s words, spoken in that moment, brought an ineffable joy to the hearts of the New Moon Sect’s disciples.

Li Hao’s wounds had stabilized, and he straightened his back, his fists clenched tightly as he gazed upon the pitiful sight of Xuan Yu, sprawled and unconscious. In this life, he had never felt such a profound sense of vengeance fulfilled.

If it hadn’t been for Yun Che, perhaps this debt would have remained unpaid in his lifetime—let alone the multiples he now stood to reclaim.

Five strikes had bested Xuan Yu: the first two were a pair of ear slaps, the next two a pair of panda eyes, and the final blow sent him sprawling into unconsciousness. This was no mere sparring—it was a living humiliation. While others might scold without exposing flaws or strike without laying a hand on the face, Yun Che had struck squarely at Xuan Yu’s visage, not from malice of heart, but from the depth of his rage at Xuan Yu’s wanton injury to Summer Yuan, a blow that stirred something primal within him.

As a disciple of the Xuan Heart Sect, he had long been looked down upon by the New Moon Sect’s disciples. Their faces, once again, bore the stain of shame, and their hearts burned with fury. One of them suddenly rose, his voice sharp as he addressed Qin You: “Master Qin, today marks your ascension. We of the Xuan Heart Sect come with sincerity to offer congratulations. Our disciple seeks to spar, merely to pass the time, yet your disciples strike with cruelty and poison, and every blow is a mockery of our sect. Dare you ask, Master Qin, is this the hospitality of your New Moon Sect?”

“Hahaha…” Before Qin You could answer, Yun Che burst into laughter. “How thick your skin must be to dare speak such words! Your disciple Xuan Yu has gravely injured two of our own, and any soul with sight can see it was done with malice. Not one among you intervened, nor did you rebuke his words of scorn and derision. Instead, you all joined in his mockery. Is this your sincerity? A jest fit only for the destitute!”

Qin You had risen to his feet, but upon hearing Yun Che’s words, he sank back into his seat, his face serene as stone. Yet within, he marveled—this youngster.

“You!” The Xuan Heart Sect disciple could not believe a mere New Moon Sect disciple had the audacity to point at his face and hurl such cutting words. Each syllable struck a nerve, leaving him speechless.

“Now I have injured only one of your disciples, yet you all rush to question my conduct as Qin’s master. Where were you when Xuan Yu wounded our disciples? Are your eyes blind, or is this the way of the Xuan Heart Sect—through and through?” Yun Che’s voice dripped venom, his tone unrelenting.

For generations, New Moon Sect disciples had felt inferior before the Seven Great Sects. Though they endured both open and covert oppression, they never dared challenge any of the Seven. Even elders among them dared not rebuke the Seven Sects. Yet Yun Che, a newly minted disciple of just sixteen, stood before the Xuan Heart Sect’s chief elder and scolded them to the point of trembling. The others’ faces flushed crimson with shame.

It was intoxicating! The New Moon Sect’s disciples felt as though their bodies might lift away with such relief. This matter was theirs to defend—the evidence of Xuan Yu’s malice was plain to see. But even so, no one else but Yun Che dared rebuke them so boldly. He had spoken the words they all wished to voice, the insults they dared not utter.

“Hmph. A newborn calf unafraid of the tiger,” murmured a middle-aged man from the Xiao Sect, one who had arrived with Xiao Luocheng.

“His presence is impressive, and his talent sufficient. To have such a disciple in the New Moon Sect is a rare blessing,” Xiao Luocheng said, his eyes half-lidded as he lifted his wine cup, watching the ripples in the liquid. He seemed indifferent to the events unfolding in the hall. “Yet he is also a bit reckless and foolish. To dare accuse the Xuan Heart Sect—does he believe the New Moon Sect can truly protect him?”

Within the New Moon Sect’s ranks, the elders’ expressions shifted like wind-tossed clouds. Yun Che’s victory over Xuan Yu had filled them with pride, and his subsequent words only deepened their satisfaction. Yet now, facing the Xuan Heart Sect—a pillar of the Seven Great Sects—this sixteen-year-old had dared to challenge them outright. Even the New Moon Sect itself might struggle to shield him.

The Xuan Heart Sect’s gaze upon Yun Che had grown somber. But Yun Che, as though untouched by the tension, leaned slightly, his eyes sweeping the hall, and declared with proud defiance: “We of the New Moon Sect were founded by the imperial family. Our resources and heritage may never match those of the great sects here, but our disciples will never bow to any as inferior. To insult another is to invite insult in return. Xuan Yu, in full view of all, viciously attacked our junior and junior sisters. As a disciple of the New Moon Sect, I owe them no courtesy. If we let this pass, the entire New Moon City will mock us for being a sect of spineless cowards who endure abuse in silence. If you are displeased, by all means, come forward and show us how it is done. Having heard that the Seven Great Sects of New Moon City are all prodigies, as a humble disciple, I wonder—how many of you must it take for me to… leave this place?”

The hall erupted in shock.

Had his preceding words been mere rhetoric, his final statement was one of unbridled arrogance. And it was a challenge, couched in the guise of a humble disciple, to the Seven Great Sects themselves—a declaration of contempt.

“A fool through and through!” Murong Ye scoffed, flicking his sleeve.

“Yun Che may have just made a name for himself, but this is too bold, too reckless,” whispered many a New Moon Sect disciple. Especially those who had lingered in New Moon City long understood the true might of the Seven Great Sects. Yun Che’s strength, though he had entered the Yuan Jing realm, was no match for any of their contemporaries. His words not only mocked them—they had only invited their scorn.

“This, this…” Zhou Kong’s face was a mask of anxiety. He shifted in his seat, yearning to rise and halt Yun Che, yet in this moment, he could not find the words to stop him.

“To call him a fool was too generous. He’s simply a complete idiot,” Xiao Luocheng said, setting down his cup with a dismissive laugh. Sixteen was no young age to enter the Yuan Jing realm, and even among the Seven Great Sects, he belonged to the upper echelons. Yet to dare speak so arrogantly— Xiao Luocheng, the prodigy of New Moon City and its youngest leader, had already reached the sixth level of the Yuan Jing realm. A full level above Yun Che. At his own caliber, facing Yun Che’s audacity, he regarded him as a clown before a true master.

“Hahaha! A waste of potential, this one! He defeated Xuan Yu through mere acrobatics and technique, yet dares to act so arrogantly. He doesn’t even know his place in the world! I’ll teach him a lesson!”

With a sneer, a man leapt to his feet, landing before Yun Che. His youthful face bore a sneer of provocation and disdain. The New Moon Sect’s ranks erupted in murmurs of his name.

“It is Chen Ming of the Cloudyang Sect! They say his talent ranks among the top five in the Cloudyang Sect’s youth! At just sixteen, he has already reached the third level of the Yuan Jing realm. His ‘Blazing Sun Technique’ is said to be nearly perfected!”

Chen Ming lifted his palm, and a flame the size of a foot erupted, roaring into the air: “Chen Ming of the Cloudyang Sect, sixteen years and seven months. Remember my name, for I shall teach you how to behave!”

“Is that so?” Yun Che sneered back, unmoved. “Perhaps it is you who will learn how to behave.”

In his heart, he mused: Playing with fire before me? How utterly clueless he is about how to die!

“It seems you’ve nothing but empty words left. Show me your acrobatics and techniques, then perhaps you’ll last a little longer. Come—let me watch you scurry like a rat, hahaha… Cloudyang’s Chain!”

As Chen Ming laughed, his hands whirled, and a wave of searing heat surged forward. Two flames, thick as arms, erupted from his palms, coiling like grotesque serpents across the distance, lashing toward Yun Che.

“Cloudyang’s Chain! The signature technique of the Cloudyang Sect! This Chen Ming, only at the third level of the Yuan Jing realm, has mastered such a fearsome fire technique! Unbelievable!” a Longtou Sect elder gasped.

“Even a sixth-level Yuan Jing cultivator would struggle to repel this degree of Cloudyang’s Chain. I hope Yun Che’s skills keep him clear of harm’s way,” another elder sighed.

“To confront a reckless child at the first level of the Yuan Jing realm with Cloudyang’s Chain—this is overkill,” a Cloudyang Sect disciple scoffed.

The two chains of Cloudyang’s flame writhed like monstrous dragons, radiating an almost suffocating heat. Yun Che darted aside, shifting three paces, yet the chains, as if given sight, pivoted with blinding speed to ensnare him. He seemed cornered, then extended his hand to grasp the chains.

“What the hell? He’s trying to grab my hands?”

“Pfft. He’s probably panicked, lost all sense of direction. Now, unless Chen Ming lets him go, he’ll burn through his tendons and veins—his hand will be ruined for life.”

Yun Che’s movement caught Chen Ming’s attention. In his heart, the elder laughed: “Right hand reaching for my Cloudyang’s Chain? Hahaha! Everyone sees it clearly—his hand is ruined, and it’s all his own fault!”

Within the New Moon Sect, many gasped, but in the blink of an eye, no one could react. Yun Che’s hand, solid and unyielding, gripped the two chains…

The New Moon Sect’s disciples held their breath as one. Some women even shut their eyes, unable to bear what came next. Yet no scream of burning echoed, no black smoke rose from Yun Che’s palm, nor did the flames spread. In that instant, as Yun Che’s hand clasped the chains, they snapped like overcooked noodles in his grip.