Chapter 69: One Battle Shocks the City (Part 6)

“What… what is it!!”

Seeing that the terrifying Cloud Yang Chain had been snapped in Yun Che’s hands, all the onlookers were struck with astonishment. Yan Ming’s eyes widened to their fullest extent, unable to even believe what his eyes were witnessing.

“This… this is impossible! This is one of the Cloud Yang Sect’s ultimate techniques! A chain forged with Mystic Force, hotter than real flames, with a devouring power—how could it be snapped by Yun Che’s hand so easily?!” The elder of the New Moon Manor gasped in disbelief.

The Cloud Yang Sect was even more stunned. Chief Elder Yan Ziran suddenly stood up, as if his eyes had deceived him. His disciples quickly spoke up: “Elder Yan, there’s no need to panic. Brother Yan Ming has only just entered the third level of Mystic Realm. Handling the Cloud Yang Chain is still a bit strained, so the Mystic Force must have caused it to break.”

“Hmph! Pretending to be powerful while relying on Mystic Force? That’s just asking to be mocked! There’s no other explanation for this situation.” Yan Ziran sneered coldly, though he could only rationalize it this way. He could never believe that someone who had only just entered the Mystic Realm could snap his Cloud Yang Chain with bare hands, and his entire arm remained unscathed.

Yun Che patted his hand and smiled cheerfully: “Yun Ming, you really played a good trick. Your moves just now—if you weren’t selling street performances, you’d be wasting your time.”

“This… this is impossible!” Yan Ming was terrified in his heart. Others couldn’t see it, but he knew perfectly well that the Cloud Yang Chain he had just released and controlled had been a great success. Contact with Yun Che’s hand should have completely burned his palm to ash—how could it snap so suddenly?

Yun Che’s mockery enraged Yan Ming, who turned away with a sullen face: “Don’t get cocky! Just now, I only tested you casually. I’ll soon show you the real Cloud Yang Chain of the Cloud Yang Sect!”

Though he spoke these words fiercely, the “failure” had left him feeling somewhat deflated. He dared not extend both hands to cast the Cloud Yang Chain, but let out a low shout and whipped his right arm out, sending a thick, serpentine fire chain spiraling toward Yun Che.

This time, Yun Che didn’t even move. The Cloud Yang Chain raced toward him, then instantly coiled around his body… Yan Ming felt a sudden surge of hope, ready to ignite the Mystic flames, but suddenly saw that the chain tightening around Yun Che’s body unraveled like a rotten rope under Yun Che’s casual twitch, fragmenting into pieces and extinguishing itself.

Yun Che was already furious. He brushed off the chain-stained clothing and angrily declared: “We came here to spar, but you’re treating us to a circus! You’re wasting everyone’s time! Get out of here already!”

With a low shout, Yun Che’s Star God Shattered Shadow technique materialized beside Yan Ming, a fist condensed with Mystic Force striking directly at his chest. Yan Ming, already stunned and helpless, felt his spirit falter. His response was half a beat too slow, and he could only retreat, though still struck squarely in the chest by Yun Che’s punch.

Yan Ming’s protective Mystic aura surged violently. Though Yun Che’s Mystic Force was two levels lower, the sudden impact still battered him. Shame and anger burned within him as he bellowed, “Burning Fire Fist!” His fists ignited with flames and struck Yun Che.

Yun Che sidestepped, avoiding Yan Ming’s burning hands, then raised his right hand and slapped Yan Ming’s forearm, a faint, cold smile curling at his lips…

“AHHHHH!!!”

A scream like a slaughtered pig echoed through the hall. Yan Ming collapsed to the ground, his arms flailing wildly. The flames on his hands had vanished, but black smoke rose from his fingers, and a pungent smell of charred flesh began to spread through the hall.

Yan Ziran was horrified. In a flash, he rushed forward and lightning-fast grabbed Yan Ming’s hands, quickly guiding the fiery Mystic Force out of his disciple’s body.

Yan Ming’s expression of pain eased slightly, but his hands were now half-blackened, his fingers twisted into a grotesque shape, with black smoke still seeping from his burned flesh.

“So the Mystic Force turned on itself! Have you been cultivating up to dog meat for these years?!” Yan Ziran glared at Yan Ming, ignoring the occasion, his face red with fury. As one of the Cloud Yang Sect’s top five disciples, Yan Ming had first snapped the Cloud Yang Chain twice, then publicly made such a lowly, ridiculous mistake—it was a disgrace to the Cloud Yang Sect.

Fire-based Mystic arts grant practitioners the ability to condense Mystic Force into flames, but this does not mean one is immune to fire. Just as Yan Ming’s hand had been protected by a layer of Mystic Force between it and the flames moments ago.

Yan Ming’s disheveled state after casting the Burn Fire Fist clearly showed he had failed to control the Mystic Force in his haste. The condensed flames had not fully released, one part forming the flames on his hands, the other part exploding within his palm, scorching himself! Such mistakes usually only occur in the first year of cultivating fire-based techniques, and even then, the flames are weak. Any error would not cause such severe damage. After that period, controlling Mystic Force flames becomes as natural as controlling one’s own limbs, so this laughably poor mistake should never have happened.

Of course, Yan Ziran could never imagine that Yun Che had, in that instant, directed the flames from Yan Ming’s hand into his own palm. Even if Yun Che had boldly admitted it, Yan Ziran would never have believed it.

“Elder, I…”

“Shut up! Do you want to be even more humiliated? Get down and tend to your wounds!” Yan Ziran roared.

Yan Ming fell into place, his burned hands bowing in submission. He glanced at Yun Che, then suddenly clenched his teeth. Intuitively, he felt the Cloud Yang Chain’s snapping and the Mystic Fire’s backlash might be connected to Yun Che. Otherwise, he could never have made such a mistake. But if it was connected to Yun Che, he couldn’t find any reason. Yun Che had only just entered the Mystic Realm—how could he have snapped Yan Ming’s Cloud Yang Chain with bare hands, let alone cause his Mystic Fire to backfire?

“Hmph. This kid’s luck isn’t bad, meeting such a fool. I thought he’d soon pay the price for his arrogance.” A middle-aged man in the New Moon Manor sneered.

“He won’t make it past the next one.” Xiao Luocheng smiled faintly.

The elders and disciples of the New Moon Manor all sighed in relief, having thought Yun Che would surely lose this time, possibly even get burned. They hadn’t expected him to win due to a low-level mistake by Yan Ming, which instead made Yun Che the victor. Now, Yun Che had defeated a second-level and a third-level Mystic Realm practitioner with only a first-level Mystic Force!

This was an outstanding achievement that would make the New Moon Manor proud. Yun Che stood with his hands clasped over his chest, his youthful face beaming with pride: “That’s two down. Who’s next?”

This arrogant tone made the disciples of the Seven Sects sneer. This ignorant brat couldn’t even see that Yun Che had only won because Yan Ming made a low-level mistake and got burned.

When Yun Che’s figure had settled, the youngest-looking disciple at the Wind and Cloud Manor’s banquet table stood up.

“Wind Guangya! From the Wind and Cloud Manor, sixteen years old!” This young man wasn’t tall or imposing, only sixteen, naturally carrying the arrogance of being pursued by countless others. He shot Yun Che a disdainful glance and said coolly: “I wouldn’t have intervened, because you don’t even deserve to be my opponent. But I can’t stand your arrogant face. You got lucky beating a second-rate cultist, and even more luckily beat a joke from the Cloud Yang Sect. Do you really think you’re someone? Too bad, in my eyes, you’re still just a joke!”

“Say it! Make him get out of here!”

“Do you think we have no one left in the Seven Sects?”

“This Wind Guangya, though only just turned sixteen, has been in the third level of Mystic Realm for several months, and is said to be on the verge of breaking through to the fourth level. His talent is sure to surpass Yan Ming. He’s said to have an extraordinary aptitude, and has already reached the third level of the Wind and Cloud Break Empty Technique cultivated in the Wind and Cloud Manor, even impressing the long-closed elder of the Wind and Cloud Manor… I guess this arrogant Yun Che doesn’t even expect to get past ten moves against him.”

“Ten moves? Pfft, you overestimate him. Maybe five at most, he’d be lucky to get out of here!”

Wind Guangya’s sarcasm was sharp. Yun Che didn’t seem angry at all, instead replying with a sarcastic gaze and tone: “Who’s really the joke? You’ll find out soon enough.”

“Hmph! If I don’t let you leave within ten moves, I won’t answer to the name Wind Guangya!”

As he spoke, Wind Guangya’s half-closed eyes suddenly opened fully, and his clothes began to rustle like leaves in a storm—around him, a powerful wind vortex indeed formed.

Wind Guangya lifted his gaze, calmly saying: “Yun Che, listen well. the Mystic technique that was supposed to make you leave here—the ‘Wind and Cloud Nine Transformations’—is mine!”

His voice fading, Wind Guangya surged forward like a gale, rushing toward Yun Che at incredible speed. His body twisted and turned, left and right, moving faster and faster, creating a blur of shadow and terrifying wind vortices in Yun Che’s sight.

“First Transformation… Gale Transformation!”

A great shout, four Mystic forces like four fierce winds simultaneously struck Yun Che. Yun Che furrowed his brow, quickly dodging three, the fourth unavoidable. Mystic Force surged rapidly, erecting a barrier in front of him like Mystic energy.

BOOM!

Yun Che retreated three steps, his chest heaving with blood and breath. With only first-level Mystic Force, his protective Mystic Force couldn’t withstand third-level Mystic Force. One time was bearable, but another would surely injure him.

“Second Transformation… Wind Shadow Transformation!”

The wind spun faster and fiercer. Yun Che heard only the howling wind in his ears, Wind Guangya’s speed reaching its peak. Yun Che’s surroundings were entirely Wind Guangya’s shadow. At that moment, a figure like a storm crashed toward his back. In that instant, Yun Che turned his back.

Yun Che’s reaction was swift, anticipating Wind Guangya’s move, though only slightly surprised. He believed Yun Che, even if he reacted, couldn’t dodge Wind Guangya’s attack at his peak speed. A solid punch struck Yun Che’s neck.

In that moment, Yun Che’s right fist shot out, meeting the punch head-on.

“What! Has he gone mad? Daring to clash directly with Wind Guangya?!”

“If he fully exerted his Mystic Force for defense, he might not be too badly hurt. Wind Guangya, after all, is a late third-level Mystic Realm practitioner! A first-level one daring to go toe-to-toe? He doesn’t even know the height of the ground!”

The hall’s observers saw this and knew Yun Che had truly lost it. This hit could easily dislocate his wrist, or worse, break his arm. Wind Guangya’s punch wasn’t just stronger by two levels—it also carried the might of the Wind and Cloud Manor’s Mystic arts!

But Yun Che dared to be so arrogant, so bold, and speak so boastfully—he must have had some support!

At the moment their fists were about to collide, a spark glimmered in Yun Che’s eyes. His Mystic veins arranged in the shape of the Big Dipper’s seven stars, seven sealed realms. The foremost one, the first realm, quietly opened…

The First Realm of the Demon God’s Seven Realms—the realm of the Evil Spirit… opened!