Chapter 153: Golden Scale Dragon Transformation Pill

Qin Wuyou walked over. "No need to fight anymore," he said. "Although you held back, Murong Yi is still seriously injured and can no longer fight. This match... Yun Che, you have won decisively."

He saw clearly that if Yun Che hadn't held back with his third strike, the immense power of that heavy sword would have been enough to turn Murong Yi, whose protective profound energy was mostly scattered, into a pulp.

Yun Che put away his Overlord Heavy Sword, said nothing more, and stood smiling.

The entire platform had vanished, reduced to a pile of crumbling ruins. Every surrounding disciple's face was etched with deep shock and disbelief. Qin Wuyou announced the result, but the expected cheers didn't erupt; instead, there was only a profound silence.

A battle between a second-level Spirit Profound Realm practitioner and a ninth-level Spirit Profound Realm practitioner—the disparity in profound energy for this match was immense. To everyone, the outcome was supposed to be a foregone conclusion. They had come today simply to witness the prowess of an Inner Palace disciple and the miserable, humiliated defeat of an arrogant individual. They had ridiculed Yun Che's overestimation of himself, laughed at his foolishness and stupidity, and even treated him as a joke for the past three months, enjoying a sense of intellectual and spiritual superiority by mocking him.

Today, the astonishing truth laid bare before them revealed that they had no right whatsoever to mock Yun Che. The person they had ridiculed for months was, in fact, standing at a height they couldn't possibly reach, looking down upon them. Recalling months of eloquent ridicule directed at Yun Che, many Outer Palace disciples flushed crimson with embarrassment. Some who had been shouting insults in the arena moments ago wished they could find a hole to crawl into.

Everyone stared blankly at Yun Che, their gazes no longer holding the contempt they had before the fight. Instead, there was deep shock and admiration, which soon transformed into fervent adoration and worship. Defeating an opponent seven levels higher, sending tremors through the entire arena with a single swing of his heavy sword—at that moment, Yun Che seemed to take on a mythical aura in their eyes. Especially those three earth-shattering sword strikes, which were enough to leave a lasting and indelible impression of awe on everyone.

"Too... too incredible! I actually used to mock him... It turns out I was the most ridiculous one.""Being at the ninth level of the Spirit Profound Realm is nothing great; I'll reach that level someday... But defeating an opponent seven levels higher... now *that's* true power! I doubt I could ever do that in my entire life. Junior Brother Yun is simply... terrifying.""This heavy sword is just too cool, it's a real man's weapon... Which bastard told me heavy swords were trash? No way! I'm going to change my weapon! I'm going to apply to the Human Weapon Pavilion right now to pick out a new weapon!" An Outer Palace disciple roared, his face flushed with excitement, then he took off running towards the Human Weapon Pavilion.

The moment that voice rang out, countless others responded. Large numbers of Outer Palace and Middle Palace disciples scrambled towards the Human Weapon Pavilion and Earth Weapon Pavilion, fearing that all the heavy swords would be snatched up. Yun Che's three sword strikes had stunned them so much, and in their shock, their blood had begun to boil.

The ultimate result was that the few heavy swords available in the Human Weapon Pavilion and Earth Weapon Pavilion were completely emptied in less than half a day.

Qin Wushang slowly stood up, his gaze fixed on Yun Che in the arena. His face showed deep excitement, and he murmured to himself, "As expected of the one chosen by Princess Cang Yue... To wield the Overlord Heavy Sword at the second level of the Spirit Profound Realm and effortlessly defeat a ninth-level Spirit Profound Realm practitioner, with such an imposing aura yet a contained presence, seemingly ostentatious but with true sharpness hidden deep within his wisdom... Such a prodigy is truly one of a kind!"

He was also certain that this wasn't Yun Che's full strength. After all, Yun Che had only brandished and swung his heavy sword three times.

Yet, the divine power and dominance displayed by these three strikes were incomparable to even tens of thousands of swings of a light sword.

Following this, Qin Wushang's clear voice rang out, carrying an unusual penetrative power that spread throughout the central square. "What an astonishing and magnificent battle! Yun Che, you have defeated Inner Palace disciple Murong Yi with your second-level Spirit Profound Realm profound energy, and you have wielded the Overlord Heavy Sword, which no one in the Azure Wind Profound Palace has been able to control for hundreds of years. All of this is truly awe-inspiring! Based solely on what we've witnessed today, it's no exaggeration to call you the foremost genius our Azure Wind Profound Palace has seen in the past three hundred years. And you are still so young; your future achievements are undoubtedly limitless."

When Qin Wushang's voice resonated, the clamor in the square abruptly ceased. Every word he spoke was firm and solemn, and no one found it an exaggeration: "From today onward, you are officially an Inner Palace disciple, and you will replace Murong Yi's position on the Inner Palace Heaven Profound Ranking, ranking seventy-third. Furthermore, based on your performance today, you are specially permitted to enter the Inner Palace's Grand Profound Hall at any time, with no restrictions on the number or frequency of profound arts and skills you may choose. You will also be rewarded with one Golden Scale Transforming Dragon Pill."

*Whoosh!*

As soon as Qin Wushang finished speaking, the entire arena erupted in an uproar.

The privilege of unlimited and unrestricted access to all profound arts and skills in the Grand Profound Hall at any time was, arguably, unprecedented within the Azure Wind Profound Palace. This single reward alone was immense. What truly made everyone gasp, however, was the "Golden Scale Transforming Dragon Pill" he mentioned. The Golden Scale Transforming Dragon Pill was a highly sought-after, advanced medicinal pill known to everyone in the entire Azure Wind Imperial City. As the largest profound palace in the Azure Wind Empire and directly affiliated with the imperial family, the Azure Wind Profound Palace's formidable strength was beyond doubt, yet they could produce at most one Golden Scale Transforming Dragon Pill every two years. It was said that its refinement required nearly a hundred types of herbs and a dozen precious crystals, with incredibly stringent requirements for its creation. Its effect was even more astounding: consuming it could instantly raise the profound energy of a practitioner below the Spirit Profound Realm by one level overnight.

Previously, the Golden Scale Transforming Dragon Pills of the Azure Wind Profound Palace were only given to its top contenders before the Azure Wind Ranking Tournament to grant them a significant breakthrough before the competition. This was the first time one had been awarded to a disciple as a prize.

Despite the immense envy among all the disciples for such a reward, no one felt it was excessive. Yun Che's performance today had absolutely earned it.

As for Murong Yi, lying there, who was initially the central figure, he was now completely forgotten. All eyes were fixed on Yun Che; barely anyone spared him a glance.

Murong Ye rushed forward, helped Murong Yi up, and gritted his teeth, preparing to leave. After only two steps, Yun Che's voice echoed from behind.

"Leaving already?"

Murong Ye trembled and slowly turned around. "Yun Che, don't push your luck too far... My cousin is the sole son of the General of the North Suppressing Army. Today, you've completely offended him. You... you'll regret this."

Murong Ye's voice was sharp but his inner resolve was weak. He spoke harsh words, yet his body trembled, and his heart pounded wildly. Although he vehemently denied it, the truth was that the gap between him, a self-proclaimed genius, and Yun Che was as vast as heaven and earth. In Yun Che's presence, let alone acting arrogant, he barely had the qualification to lick his shoes.

"Senior Brother Murong, no need to be so nervous. I merely wanted to remind Murong Yi of something," Yun Che said with a faint smile. "Back when we initiated the challenge, we publicly stated that if I lost, you could do as you pleased with me, but if *you* lost, you had to promise me three things—three things that you absolutely could not refuse... Murong Yi, you haven't forgotten, have you? It's fine if you have; everyone present at the time can help you remember. Palace Master Qin also witnessed it then."

"You..." The heavily injured Murong Yi's face immediately turned purple, his lips quivered, then his eyes rolled back, and he fainted from sheer rage.

A white blur flashed before Yun Che's eyes, and Feng Baiyi stood before him, interposing himself between Yun Che and Murong Ye. The challenge ending this way made Feng Baiyi's expression extremely grim, yet a cold smile played on his lips. "Well done, kid Yun Che... What a pity, for a wild brat with no background to be so arrogant, you're bound to suffer a great loss."

Yun Che returned a cold smile. "Countless people have tried to make me suffer greatly, but the result was always that they were either crippled or dead. I'm actually quite eager to see who tries to make me suffer next."

Feng Baiyi's eyes narrowed sharply, and a hint of coldness flickered between his brows. He turned and left, taking Murong Ye and the unconscious Murong Yi with him.

"Brother-in-law... Brother-in-law!!"

Xia Yuanba, with immense effort, finally pushed through the dense crowd and rushed to Yun Che, his face flushed, shouting with overwhelming excitement: "I knew it, Brother-in-law would win! Wow, wow, wow... Brother-in-law! You've become so incredibly powerful now! I practically worship you... Ahh, I just worship you so much! If my sister knew that Brother-in-law is no longer a profound-vein cripple and has become so strong, she'd be very surprised too."

"Heh heh." Yun Che gave a slightly smug smile. Listening to Xia Yuanba's words, the ethereal image of Xia Qingyue uncontrollably flashed through his mind... It had been a year since they parted ways at the Xiao Clan. In this year, he often thought of her. Leaving everything else aside, they had paid respects to Heaven and Earth, entered the bridal chamber, and with a sixteen-year marriage contract, she was his, Yun Che's, officially wedded wife. This status ensured he could never truly forget Xia Qingyue.

He glanced to the side and immediately spotted the four individuals who had bullied Xia Yuanba earlier. The moment their eyes met Yun Che's, the four of them recoiled, then each broke into an extremely fawning smile... They had originally come to see Yun Che make a fool of himself and vent their anger, but they never expected that an Inner Palace disciple from the Heaven Profound Ranking would be beaten like a dog by him. Now, even if they were given a hundred times more courage, they would never dare to bully Xia Yuanba again, and would instead try desperately to curry favor.

Among those present, some disciples who knew Xia Yuanba and had previously mocked him for his low profound energy now saw his connection to Yun Che and instantly regretted it deeply. Sweating cold, they secretly pondered how to apologize to Xia Yuanba and how to build a good relationship with him in the future.

"Brother Yun, you were truly magnificent, so powerful!" A clear-faced youth squeezed through the crowd, shouting with excited enthusiasm.

"Yun Xiaofan?" Yun Che smiled, seeing the youth he had met during the entrance examination. "You really did manage to stay in the Profound Palace."

"Mm-hmm," Yun Xiaofan nodded. "Thanks to your help back then, Brother Yun, I got a chance for a re-test with Instructor Qin and passed successfully. Otherwise, I wouldn't have been able to stay here and would have gone back injured... Brother Yun, you are not only my great benefactor but also my idol. For these five years in the Profound Palace, I will make you my ultimate goal!"

"Haha! Keep it up! The Outer Palace is just a temporary residence for you; your goal is the Inner Palace."

"I will definitely work hard," Yun Xiaofan declared, clenching his fists.

On the periphery, watching Yun Che become the center of attention, Lan Xueruo's perpetually anxious heart finally settled. A deeply comforting smile spread across her face; she herself couldn't see how gentle and beautiful her smile was at that moment. Within her heart, there swelled a profound sense of pride that she hadn't even realized was there.

Having spent so much time with Yun Che, she knew he was not someone who spoke lightly or overestimated himself. Moreover, he possessed an astonishing ability to fight beyond his level. Therefore, she had not been pessimistic about his challenge against Murong Yi... But she never imagined that Yun Che had become so incredibly strong, not only defeating Murong Yi but doing so in a crushing manner.

However, once the joy subsided, a deep worry began to spread in her heart.

She knew better than anyone what might happen after this duel.

The Azure Wind Profound Palace was directly affiliated with the imperial family, nurturing young talents for the Azure Wind Imperial Family and cultivating the future pillars and foundations of the monarchy. In a sense, it was also the face of the imperial family. If a disciple entered the Inner Palace, their name would become widely known throughout the entire Imperial City, because those who could enter the Inner Palace were destined for exceptionally high achievements, without exception.

And a disciple who, at the second level of the Spirit Profound Realm, could utterly defeat someone at the ninth level of the Spirit Profound Realm, and who was just seventeen years old... What an unparalleled genius! At least in the past few hundred years, the Azure Wind Profound Palace had never seen such a stunning talent. To be like this at merely seventeen years old, his future achievements were simply unimaginable.

Undoubtedly, Yun Che's name would spread throughout the entire city, even creating a sensation, within just a few days. This would bring him immense attention and praise, but at the same time, he would be drawn into various whirlpools of public opinion.

However, these were not Lan Xueruo's primary concerns.

Her worries lay with her two elder brothers... Crown Prince Cang Lin and Third Prince Cang Shuo.

She believed they would certainly try to win Yun Che over, and their efforts would be far more intense than for other Inner Palace disciples... even more so than for those in the top ten of the Heaven Profound Ranking!