Chapter 1225: Crimson Flame (Part 1)

"It's rare to see Changsheng so serious," the Gloomlight Realm King Luo Changchen suddenly remarked. "It seems that even with victory assured, he truly isn't arrogant or underestimating his opponent. That's good."

"No," Luo Guxie shook her head. "It's Yun Che who's given him a sense of crisis."

"A sense of crisis?" Luo Shangchen raised an eyebrow slightly. "Are you saying...?"

Luo Guxie slowly explained, "Since childhood, Changsheng has never been defeated by anyone his age. He has always been the one to look down on others; no one, let alone look down on him, could even be compared to him. His entire life has been like this, and he's long been accustomed to this state. But Yun Che... he is younger than Changsheng, and his profound cultivation is only at the Divine Tribulation Realm, yet he can push Changsheng to this extent. This is the first time he's felt a 'sense of crisis' and 'imbalance,' thinking, 'Perhaps I am not as good as him.'"

Luo Shangchen: "..."

"Just now, Changsheng specifically asked Yun Che to release the 'Phantom God' and then immediately crushed it. This wasn't to dampen Yun Che's spirit, but rather driven by that same 'sense of imbalance.' Earlier, during Yun Che's battle with Lu Lengchuan, when Yun Che unleashed the 'Phantom God' and displayed astonishing power that directly turned the tide of the battle, Changsheng's reaction was extremely intense... because it was a power he couldn't even comprehend."

"..." Luo Shangchen's brows furrowed, and he murmured, "I see."

"However, Changsheng himself might not even be aware of these feelings, and even if he were, he would certainly never admit it," Luo Guxie continued. Clearly, as Luo Changsheng's master and aunt, her understanding of him surpassed Luo Shangchen's. "And to balance this unprecedented negative feeling, what Changsheng must do, of course, is to completely suppress Yun Che, making him lose utterly."

"When Yun Che is completely under his heel, the negative feelings brought about by Yun Che will naturally be crushed as well."

Defeat? Luo Changsheng had never considered losing, and he would absolutely, under no circumstances, allow himself to lose.

Facing Luo Changsheng's calm, almost judgmental words, Yun Che said nothing. He stepped forward, each stride covering a hundred meters, profound energy fully unleashed. The Golden Crow's Record of Burning the World circulated to its extreme, and the sword and flame might perfectly merged on the Heaven Smiting Sword. The instant it erupted, a fiery glow illuminated the sky, almost burning through the void.

Despite such formidable power, Luo Changsheng remained motionless, as calm as if watching a dazzling fireworks display. Only his Sacred Lightning Sword drew a virtual arc, stabbing downwards diagonally.

Yun Che's attack was incredibly ferocious, yet Luo Changsheng's posture was light and elegant, like a leisurely stroll. As the Sacred Lightning Sword stabbed down, three slender white sword beams silently appeared, instantly piercing the void and leaving three pale streaks across the heavens and earth.

A soft sound flashed past his ears. The fiery sword might unleashed by Yun Che was pierced by the three slender white sword beams, then instantly torn apart, and in the next moment, dissolved into a dispersing profound energy storm and fragments of flame.

All the spectators widened their eyes. Just now, it was as if they had seen the void completely split apart. The three sword beams had already vanished, but three pale streaks of light lingered on their retinas, refusing to fade for a long time.

Yun Che instantly moved using Flowing Shadow, Fleeting Light. As the three white streaks sliced through his sword might, they also pierced his ice illusion. Despite the shock in his heart, his body didn't pause for a moment. Like a stream of light, he pressed towards Luo Changsheng, his immense sword might reforming, ready to strike Luo Changsheng directly.

Boom!!

The Heaven Smiting Sword stopped three zhang in front of Luo Changsheng. Amidst a clanging roar, a yellow barrier shimmered into existence, deeply indented, and then exploded violently.

Flames and the Heaven Smiting Sword were violently thrown back. Yun Che, as if struck by a massive mountain, was sent tumbling sideways. Luo Changsheng finally moved. Sword and axe struck simultaneously, and five sword beams, imbued with the power of a storm, shot downwards. A giant eagle's shadow flashed behind him, emanating an overwhelming pressure.

The five sword beams locked onto Yun Che's aura, closing in instantly. Yun Che struggled to turn in mid-air, and the Heretic God Barrier expanded at its fastest speed.

Shhh—shhh—shhh—CRACK!!

Three sword beams were resisted by the Heretic God Barrier. Under the fourth sword beam, the Heretic God Barrier finally shattered. The fifth sword beam, carrying surging storm power, whipped fiercely across Yun Che's back.

With a loud crash, Yun Che's white robes on his back tore apart, blood splattering. But before he could counterattack, his entire body felt as if crushed by ten thousand mountains, and he plummeted rapidly.

Luo Changsheng swooped in, his body shimmering with a dense yellow profound light. A heavy force field enveloped Yun Che tightly.

A gravity force field, one of the higher laws of earth-element profound arts. The gravity force field unleashed by Luo Changsheng was exceptionally powerful. Especially since Yun Che used heavy weapons, the suppression on him was immense. Sensing Luo Changsheng's approaching power, he barely managed to turn around by gathering all his profound energy. His sword-swinging speed was nearly halved compared to normal.

As Luo Changsheng's power crashed down, Yun Che could barely hold the Heaven Smiting Sword horizontally in front of him.

The Sacred Lightning Sword, empowered by the yellow glow, carried an incredibly heavy sword might, striking the Heaven Smiting Sword with immense force.

With the first strike, Yun Che's entire body trembled violently, and the aura in the surrounding several miles was completely pushed away by the sudden burst of terrifying energy waves.

Bang!!!

With the second strike, blood spurted from Yun Che's arm, staining his white robes, and his internal organs churned violently.

Boom—

With the third strike, the Heaven Smiting Sword was completely knocked away. Yun Che, as if struck by a heaven-cleaving hammer, felt a roaring in his mind and was sent flying backward violently.

Luo Changsheng's expression was indifferent. The profound energy on his body abruptly changed from yellow to green. The Divine Wind Battle-Axe flew from his hand, instantly conjuring a terrifying storm that changed the color of the sky and earth. It chased after Yun Che, moving several times faster than Yun Che's backward flight, mercilessly crashing onto his back.

"Yun Che!" Mu Bingyun suddenly stood up, her beautiful face pale.

The sound of the storm in that instant was like a volcanic eruption. The entire Conferred God Stage trembled faintly as it was swept. Yun Che was flung in another direction, trailing a long mist of blood, flying dozens of miles sideways before crashing heavily to the ground.

The Heaven Smiting Sword also flew from his hand, falling far away.

"Ah, it's over," Huo Rulie closed his eyes. The initial stalemate between the two had given him a glimmer of hope, but after Luo Changsheng truly unleashed his full power, Yun Che was completely suppressed. Aside from the unexpected attack from the Phantom God that burned him, Yun Che could barely even get close.

"After all, he is Luo Changsheng," Yan Juehai also sighed. "It's already extremely impressive that Yun Che could make him use his full power. Entering the Battle of the Conferred God is already a miracle; no one has the right to ask for more from him."

"Brother Yun... is he okay?" Huo Poyun asked nervously. The battle was decided; victory or defeat no longer mattered. But... Luo Changsheng's final terrifying attack had directly struck Yun Che's back!

The back is where the spine is located, and it had already been injured by sword beams. Now, under the loss of power, he had suffered such a dreadful attack... No one doubted that Yun Che's spine had very likely been mercilessly fractured.

And no matter how powerful a profound practitioner, if their spine is broken, they will be completely paralyzed and lose all combat ability.

A myth is a myth after all; how could it be so easily overturned? Even though Yun Che had shocked the Eastern Divine Region repeatedly, facing the true number one of the Eastern Divine Region's younger generation, he remained powerless to shake him.

Luo Changsheng stopped, and his profound energy gradually receded. Clearly, in his view, there was no longer any need to pursue. No one knew better than him the immense power contained in the strike that landed on Yun Che's spine.

His mindset when facing Yun Che was precisely as Luo Guxie had described. He was the undefeatable Young Master Changsheng, accustomed to never losing and always looking down on others since childhood. But as Yun Che revealed his formidable talents, his soul began to feel an unprecedented stir, growing ever stronger.

Although he was very sure that his strength was far above Yun Che's, when he was at Divine Tribulation Realm Level Nine, it would have been absolutely impossible for him to display Yun Che's combat power, let alone unleash the power of the "Phantom God." At the same time, Yun Che could also wield profound arts of different attributes and possessed multiple divine bloodline inheritances.

A feeling of "inferiority" uncontrollably grew within him. For someone who had always been the "First Divine Child," this feeling was undoubtedly incredibly uncomfortable and unbearable.

But now, under his true full power, Yun Che was completely suppressed. Even when he released the Phantom God, he was utterly helpless, easily suffering consecutive heavy blows. At this point, there was no chance of him recovering.

Yun Che, severely wounded, fell into a pool of blood, while Luo Changsheng looked down on him from above like an emperor. The "unease" that had lingered for several days quickly faded in that moment, and his gaze became much calmer.

Everything seemed to be set. In everyone's eyes, the Battle of the Conferred God had reached its conclusion. Before the start of the Profound God Convention, Luo Changsheng was already the acknowledged contender for the Conferred God title. Ultimately, no surprises emerged...

But at this moment, Yun Che, lying in a pool of blood, slowly stood up.

His back was a bloody mess, and his arms were completely red, yet he stood ramrod straight, with no sign of his spine being broken. As he turned, his eyes flickered with a dark, fierce glint, devoid of any fear or trembling.

"He... he can still stand up?" Many gasped in surprise.

"What an astonishing physique! Even if his spine isn't broken, his internal and external injuries must be severe. But judging by his appearance... is he planning to continue fighting?"

Luo Changsheng's eyebrow twitched, a hint of surprise flashing across his face, followed by a smile. "To still be able to stand, it seems your bones and muscles must have undergone special tempering."

Yun Che: "..."

"I don't think you'll choose to surrender just yet," Luo Changsheng extended his hand. "Then let's continue. Let me see how long you can last."

Gasp... Gasp... Gasp... Gasp...

Yun Che's breathing was incredibly ragged, his chest heaving so violently it looked like it might burst. He also slowly extended his hand. Just as everyone thought he was about to recall the Heaven Smiting Sword and rejoin the fight, they saw a flash of fiery light, and the Golden Crow Phantom God was withdrawn.

"Oh?" Luo Changsheng frowned, a hint of disappointment flashing in his eyes. "You're not actually planning to surrender, are you?"

The spectators also showed expressions of disappointment. Although Yun Che was utterly crushed by Luo Changsheng at full power, with no chance of victory, as a top profound practitioner of the Eastern Divine Region and a participant in the Battle of the Conferred God, which was watched by the entire Eastern Divine Region, even if he was destined to lose, he should at least fight until the very last moment. Otherwise, wouldn't he be looked down upon?

Yun Che said nothing, but instead slowly closed his eyes.