Chapter 72: One Battle Shocks the City (Part 9)

"Haha, fantastic! To tell you the truth, I suddenly found myself half-wishing to be defeated by Brother Yun. Yet despite that sentiment, I shall absolutely not hold back!"

Tie Hengjun let out a booming laugh, his gaze instantly returning to a piercing coldness. Sweeping his silver spear horizontally, he gave a mighty shout: "Take this strike of mine... The Rising Sun and Soaring Dragon!!"

A colossal aura coalesced upon the shaft of the weapon. As the Cloud-Piercing Spear danced, the people within the grand hall could faintly discern the low rumble of a dragon's roar. Looks of awe and astonishment surfaced upon their faces as the spear swept directly toward Yun Che. This particular technique could either thrust or sweep; a thrust possessed indestructible might, while a sweep could scatter a thousand foes. Tie Hengjun's choice of a horizontal sweep was clearly born from his profound understanding of the strike's devastating power. Had he chosen to thrust, he feared Yun Che would be unable to evade in time under the crushing pressure and suffer grievous injury. A horizontal sweep, conversely, made it easier to strike the youth without causing irreversible harm.

The silver spear descended, carrying an astonishing momentum akin to a collapsing mountain or a raging tsunami, stirring the very wind and clouds. The sheer brilliance of this strike completely eclipsed any previous blow Tie Hengjun had delivered.

Yet, to Tie Hengjun's utter bewilderment and the profound shock of everyone present, face-to-face with such an intimidating and powerful force, Yun Che did not choose to evade using his profound movement techniques. Instead, he stood rooted to the spot, raising his right arm horizontally to meet the oncoming sweep of the Cloud-Piercing Spear directly.

"Holy hell! Has he lost his mind?!" numerous disciples within the hall bellowed out in unison.

"Get out of the way, quick!!" the four elders of the New Moon Profound Palace roared concurrently. As powerful masters who vastly outstripped these youths, they could naturally discern the terrifying power hidden within Tie Hengjun's strike.

Yun Che, however, turned a deaf ear to their cries. His arm actually accelerated, violently colliding with the momentum-laden Cloud-Piercing Spear.

Clang!!

A piercing metallic screech reverberated through the grand hall.

When Yun Che's arm collided with the weapon, Tie Hengjun had initially expected the blow to send the boy flying dozens of meters away. However, in that exact instant, his pupils contracted to the size of pinpricks. He felt as though his Cloud-Piercing Spear had struck an indestructible, impossibly thick sheet of steel, and a massive, overwhelming counter-shock violently surged back into him.

Tie Hengjun felt a dull tightness in his chest as his body was thrown into a backward flip. Upon landing, he stumbled back five or six steps in quick succession before barely managing to steady himself. The arms holding the spear grew faintly numb; had his mastery over the weapon not been ingrained into his very marrow, that sudden, ferocious counter-force would have been enough to wrench the silver spear from his grasp.

In stark contrast, Yun Che had merely taken two or three steps back before planting his feet firmly. He shook his similarly numbed right arm and flashed a faint smile.

"W-What?!" Tie Hengjun's father, Tie Zhancang, the Sect Master of the Iron Spear Sect, suddenly bolted to his feet. This man, who held sway over New Moon City as one of the seven major sect leaders, completely lost his composure from sheer shock. As the leader of the Iron Spear Sect, he understood better than anyone the terrifying destructive capability of his son's "Rising Sun and Soaring Dragon." Even an opponent whose profound strength surpassed Tie Hengjun's by three levels might not necessarily emerge unscathed from a direct confrontation with it.

Yet Yun Che, who possessed a mere first-level profound strength, had actually... actually managed to withstand it!

If Tie Zhancang was reduced to such a state, there was little need to mention the others. The disciples of the Iron Spear Sect stood with their jaws practically dropping to the floor, while the eyes of the four elders from the New Moon Profound Palace nearly bulged out of their sockets. Within this brief span of time, Yun Che had delivered shock after shock. This time, the surprise was so great that they nearly abandoned all elderly decorum to shriek aloud.

Having weathered the strike head-on, Yun Che’s gaze grew even calmer, for he knew that he was assured victory in this battle. Though the "Evil Soul" was merely the weakest first realm of the Heretic God Arts, its terrifying power still far exceeded his wildest expectations. He looked at the stunned Tie Hengjun and said with a smile, "Brother Tie, it is my turn to attack now!"

Yun Che took a step forward, his body moving like a swimming dragon as he closed the distance to Tie Hengjun in the blink of an eye. Tie Hengjun's mental fortitude was indeed superior to that of ordinary youths his age; he instantly snapped out of his shock, his Cloud-Piercing Spear flashing upward like lightning to sweep at the approaching Yun Che.

Clang!

The Cloud-Piercing Spear collided with Yun Che's right fist, once more producing a deafening metallic ring. Tie Hengjun's body leaned back, his arm turning so numb that he nearly lost his grip on the shaft, his heart churning with an unspeakable dread. A fourth-level profound strength reinforced by spear intent had been so easily blocked by a bare fist; how could this possibly be the strength of a first-level cultivator?

Amidst his shock, Tie Hengjun drew a deep breath, unleashing his entire profound strength without reservation and pushing his mastery over the spear to its absolute limit. The Cloud-Piercing Spear conjured a sky full of afterimages, enveloping Yun Che's entire body within them.

Clang!

Clang!

Clang!

Clang...

Clang!

The spear and Yun Che's fists clashed over a dozen times in rapid succession, producing a dense, overlapping metallic drone. Upon the final collision, Yun Che’s eyes narrowed as both his fists shot forward simultaneously, striking squarely against the Cloud-Piercing Spear.

Clang!!!!

"Ugh!"

With a muffled groan, Tie Hengjun felt as though an irresistible gale had slammed into his chest. His footsteps faltered as he staggered backward, retreating over a dozen paces before finally coming to a halt, his hands trembling violently against the spear.

Yun Che lowered his hands, directing a calm gaze toward him without pressing forward to attack.

Tie Hengjun exhaled a long breath, sweeping the Cloud-Piercing Spear back into his spatial ring. Straightening his posture, he offered Yun Che a grateful smile and said, "Brother Yun, I have lost, and I am thoroughly convinced of my defeat." Others might not have known, but Tie Hengjun was keenly aware that the final impact had completely exceeded his threshold of endurance, enough to send his weapon flying from his hands. Yet, just as the spear was about to slip away, that overwhelming profound force had suddenly been retracted. The Iron Spear Sect took its name from the weapon, illustrating the reverence they held for it. Before the match, Tie Hengjun had told Yun Che that the spear was a partner he valued as much as his own life. For such a man, having his weapon disarmed in combat was a monumental disgrace, almost harder to accept than death itself.

"If it is possible, I truly wish to make a friend out of you, Brother Yun," Tie Hengjun said.

"With those words of yours, we are already friends," Yun Che replied with a warm smile.

Tie Hengjun startled slightly, then cupped his fists toward Yun Che with a genuine laugh before gracefully stepping down from the arena.

"Father, I have lost. I am thoroughly convinced, and quite happy about it," Tie Hengjun spoke calmly as he approached his father, Tie Zhancang.

"That was truly a magnificent spar," Tie Zhancang praised sincerely. "Your progress surprises and pleases me. Though you lost, it is absolutely not because you are weak—in fact, you have improved beyond my expectations—but rather because of this child named Yun Che..." He cast a deep look at the youth. "This boy will undoubtedly become a true dragon among the clouds in the future. However, by doing this, he has offended nearly all the major sects in New Moon City at once. You ought to know what he might face next. Knowing that, do you still wish to be friends with him?"

Without a moment's hesitation, Tie Hengjun nodded directly.

"Good! That is a true man, and truly a son of Tie Zhancang," Tie Zhancang laughed heartily.

Meanwhile, the grand hall had dissolved into utter chaos.

"He actually defeated Tie Hengjun! Good heavens! Am I freaking dreaming right now?!"

"Is he really only at the first level of the Profound Realm? *Hiss*... How is this possible! It's too terrifying... absolutely terrifying!"

Tie Hengjun was an undisputed genius... yet this Yun Che was practically a monster!!

The various sect masters and elders of the seven sects found it impossible not to focus all their attention on Yun Che now. The New Moon Profound Palace, an institution they had always looked down upon, had actually produced such a figure—one who, at the first level, had defeated Xuan Yu of the Profound Heart Sect, Yan Ming of the Cloud Sun Sect, Feng Guangyi of the Storm Profound Palace, and Young Sect Master Tie Hengjun of the Iron Spear Sect. This was something anyone would find utterly impossible to believe without witnessing it firsthand!

Their original plan to humiliate the newly appointed Palace Chief had been thoroughly disrupted by Yun Che alone. Instead, it had turned into his personal showcase, allowing the New Moon Profound Palace to hold its head high before them while slapping their faces multiple times.

"Brother-in-law... is that really my brother-in-law?" Xia Yuanba stared with wide eyes at the commanding figure standing in the center of the hall, drawing everyone's gaze. He found it impossible to connect this person with the Yun Che whose profound veins were crippled, who had endured endless ridicule and scorn, and who had once required his protection.

The male disciples of the New Moon Profound Palace clenched their fists, their eyes shining with fierce excitement, at a loss for words to express their current emotions. The female disciples looked at Yun Che with eyes full of adoration. In particular, Ye Hongling, who had spoken to him earlier, flushed red at the memory of telling him, "Senior Sister will protect you." How utterly presumptuous that seemed now.

Of course, there were also those consumed by envy, jealousy, and hatred—such as Murong Ye.

As the surrounding disciples cheered for Yun Che, he could only sneer repeatedly, a bitter taste rising in his mouth. Yun Che had stolen too much of the spotlight, allowing the palace disciples to vent their suppressed frustrations. It was easy to foresee how immensely popular Yun Che would become hereafter... perhaps even eclipsing Murong Ye himself, who had always enjoyed the greatest renown within the palace.

When he looked toward Lan Xuero and saw her gazing unblinkingly at Yun Che, her beautiful eyes shimmering with an unusual light she had never shown him, the flames of jealousy erupted furiously within his chest, and he ground his teeth tight. *He's just a first-level brat from a backwater town! Enjoy your spotlight today, because after today, I'll make sure you know who the real boss of the New Moon Profound Palace is!*

"Counting Brother Tie, that makes four... Who is next?"

Standing in the center of the hall, Yun Che looked toward the seven major sects, issuing his challenge once more.

Defeating Feng Guangyi had already deterred anyone in the sixteen-year-old category from stepping forward; now that he had defeated Tie Hengjun, the youths of that age group remained completely silent. After nearly half a minute of silence from the seven sects, a voice dripping with disdain finally rang out: "In the sixteen-year-old category, the disciples we brought are lacking in both number and quality. We concede that group. Heh, do you dare let the seventeen and eighteen-year-old disciples of your palace come up to spar with us?"

These words instantly drew agreements from the seven sects. Yun Che, however, gave a cold laugh. "You want to challenge the older disciples of our New Moon Profound Palace? Fine, but shouldn't you defeat a sixteen-year-old like me first? Otherwise, what right do you have to challenge my senior brothers and sisters... Heh, the senior who just spoke looks to be about eighteen or nineteen, doesn't he? Why don't you come and challenge me, a sixteen-year-old disciple? If you win, you can challenge whichever senior you like. But if you can't even beat a sixteen-year-old like me, well..."

The crowd looked toward the speaker. As he raised his head, everyone's gaze froze instantly. The cheering disciples of the New Moon Profound Palace fell silent in a flash, and even the palace elders showed looks of alarm.

This person... this person was...

He possessed the countenance of an eighteen or nineteen-year-old, with a face that appeared slightly pale. Turning a gaze as dead and indifferent as stagnant water toward Yun Che, he let out an immensely mocking smile, as if he had just heard a terribly crude joke. "What you mean to say is... you want to challenge me?"