Chapter 1548: Surrender or Die

The peak of Hantan Peak had always been shrouded in clouds, but today was remarkably different. The summit was already covered with profound boats and ark of various sizes and shapes. The overlapping auras emanating from these vessels had completely pushed away the clouds for hundreds of miles around, leaving the air currents in a constant state of turmoil.

Below Hantan Peak, the East Han Kingdom Lord and his daughter, Dongfang Hanwei, along with their retinue, had also quietly arrived. The East Han Kingdom Lord glanced at his daughter multiple times, noticing her eyes were filled with worry and apprehension.

“Father, will the people from the Nine Great Sects really come?” Dongfang Hanwei asked. She knew Yun Che’s power was undoubtedly beyond imagination. However, these were the nine most formidable sects in this realm, each possessing profound foundations and terrifyingly powerful experts.

Yun Che might be able to contend with one, two, or even three of them. But if the peak experts from all nine great sects truly assembled, could he, alone, genuinely stand a chance?

Furthermore, he had already delivered a fatal blow to three Divine Kings from two of the Nine Great Sects! At the very least, he was now an irreconcilable enemy of the Taiyin Divine Palace and the Mingpeng Clan.

The East Han Kingdom Lord shook his head. “How could we presume to guess at decisions made by the Nine Great Sects at that level? However, the Meteorite Sun Sword Master will certainly not come. The Meteorite Sun Sword Domain might not even send anyone.”

The Meteorite Sun Sword Domain was the foremost of the Nine Great Sects in the Eastern Realm!

The Meteorite Sun Sword Master was the paramount figure in swordsmanship and profound arts in this realm! His title as the “foremost figure” had remained unchallenged in this realm for thousands of years!

Dongfang Hanwei breathed a slight sigh of relief upon hearing the East Han Kingdom Lord’s words.

Indeed, the Meteorite Sun Sword Master would certainly not come… In that case, Yun Che would at least face one less danger.

Observing her reaction, the East Han Kingdom Lord said, “Hanwei, it seems you are quite concerned about Venerable Yun’s safety.”

“...Senior Yun is my savior, and he resolved the East Han Kingdom’s predicament. I should naturally be grateful,” Dongfang Hanwei replied.

“Hmm.” The East Han Kingdom Lord nodded slightly. He then gave her a profound look before turning his gaze, his expression momentarily complex.

Had the East Han Kingdom’s peril truly been resolved? No, of course not.

Yun Che’s solitary defiance of the Nine Great Sects had rocked the entire Eastern Realm. The East Han Kingdom was both the location and the “cause” of these events. For the past three days, Yun Che had resided within the East Han Kingdom, imperceptibly forcing the kingdom’s stance to be tied to his own.

If Yun Che were to perish at the hands of the Nine Great Sects today, the Taiyin Divine Palace and the Mingpeng Clan would undoubtedly turn their wrath upon the East Han Kingdom. The consequences would be far more cruel and desperate than when the Martial Nation’s army had besieged the royal city that day.

But what if Yun Che could truly suppress the Nine Great Sects by himself…?

As he considered that almost dreamlike possibility, the East Han Kingdom Lord’s hands involuntarily clenched and trembled slightly.

Today’s outcome would also determine the East Han Kingdom’s fate! Though… the East Han Kingdom Lord was keenly aware that Yun Che could not possibly care about the East Han Kingdom’s survival.

This was, in itself, a sorrow for the weak.

Below the mountain and on the peak, various discussions filled the air.

“Who exactly is Yun Che? Is there still no definite information about him?”

“I don’t know. It’s said he might be from another star realm and practices some strange profound fire.”

“I heard he single-handedly killed Fairy Zixuan and Grand Elder Mingpeng, and even Mingxiao was defeated by him. What exactly is his cultivation level?”

“They say he’s a Level One Divine King, but that must be inaccurate. To defeat Mingxiao and Fairy Zixuan, he’s likely a Level Eight… or even a Level Nine Divine King!”

“A Nine… Nine-level Divine King? Wouldn’t that be comparable to the Meteorite Sun Sword Master!?”

“Just a guess. Also, I heard recently that the Meteorite Sun Sword Master has been in seclusion, attempting to break through to Level Ten Divine King. I don’t know if he succeeded, or if he’s even emerged from seclusion yet.”

“A Level Ten Divine King… If the Meteorite Sun Sword Master could reach that realm, he would undoubtedly forge a new legend.”

“However, regardless of whether the Meteorite Sun Sword Master emerges from seclusion, or succeeds or fails, he won’t come today.”

“Of course! If he were to personally appear simply due to a madman’s provocation, wouldn’t that diminish his standing?”

Since the Nine Great Sects came to dominate the Eastern Realm, those who dared to provoke even one of them were exceedingly rare, and the consequences were always ruthless annihilation. Yet, to dare to challenge all nine sects at once and even issue the brutal threat, “those who do not come shall have their entire clan slaughtered,” was absolutely unprecedented and had never been done by anyone before.

The crowd of onlookers grew steadily larger. The Hantan Mountain Range, typically sparsely populated, was now swarming with figures. More and more profound boats and ark accumulated in the sky above, significantly dimming the light over the entire mountain range.

At that moment, a wave of air stirred in the sky, and a tide of profound boats from the east swiftly parted.

Figure after figure stepped out from the tide of profound boats and slowly descended onto the peak of Hantan Peak.

A moment of silence descended upon the Hantan Mountain Range, followed by an eruption of clamor tens of times louder than before.

“The Chief Grand Elder of Crying Soul Monastery!”

“Behind him are… the Shattered Moon Monastery Master… the Gloom Star Pavilion Master… the Black Fiend Sect Master… the Blood Hand Poison Lord… True Man Qingxuan… the Yaksha Devil Venerable…”

Seven figures successively landed on the peak of Hantan Peak. Each arrival triggered an enormous stir.

The eighth figure emerged; though his aura was extraordinary, he was covered in injuries and emanated a strong scent of medicine… It was none other than Mingxiao, the Mingpeng Clan Chief!

With Mingxiao’s arrival, the parted tide of profound boats closed in behind him.

On the peak of Hantan Peak, eight figures stood proudly. With their arrival, all the profound ark and profound boats that had been floating above the peak hastily descended, not daring to remain above them.

These eight individuals… though only eight in number, each held an exceptionally important status. Any one of them appearing alone would cause a massive stir.

Crying Soul Monastery, Shattered Moon Monastery, Gloom Star Pavilion, Mingpeng Mountain, Blood Hand Villa, Black Fiend Poison Sect, Yaksha Devil Sect, Taiyin Divine Palace… These eight individuals represented eight of the Nine Great Sects!

Each of the eight great sects sent only one representative; six of them were their respective sect masters! The other two were a Grand Elder and a sect master’s teacher, known as the “Devil Venerable.”

The Meteorite Sun Sword Domain, the foremost of the Nine Great Sects, had not arrived, which was well within everyone’s expectations.

“Six sect masters, two grand elders… Hiss.” People continuously drew sharp breaths. To witness such an astonishing display, they felt their journey had been incredibly worthwhile.

It was clear that each of the eight great sects sending only one representative was not a coincidence, but a pre-arranged decision. They avoided making a grand display so as not to diminish their status or prestige… after all, their opponent was just one person!

The personal presence of the sect masters and grand elders undoubtedly proved they absolutely did not underestimate Yun Che.

After all, the tragic deaths of Fairy Zixuan and Ming’ao, and Mingxiao’s miserable state, were undeniable facts!

“This…” Despite his prior mental preparation, the East Han Kingdom Lord’s expression repeatedly shifted as he gazed at the eight figures on Hantan Peak.

Six sect masters, two grand elders—a force so terrifying that even he, a kingdom lord, could scarcely imagine it. Could Yun Che, alone, truly stand a chance against them?

Beside him, Dongfang Hanwei was too nervous to utter a word.

“Six sect masters are here in person, and the Crying Soul Grand Elder and Yaksha Devil Venerable are no weaker than sect masters; they are all truly top-tier figures! This… This is simply too much.”

“Didn’t Yun Che bring this upon himself?”

“Yun Che hasn’t arrived yet… Could it be he’s afraid to show up?”

“Very likely!”

“The Meteorite Sun Sword Domain truly didn’t arrive.”

“Isn’t that to be expected?”

Just as everyone was in awe, excitement, and speculation, a black light suddenly descended from the sky, plummeting straight towards the peak of Hantan Peak.

Like a black bolt of lightning striking down from the heavens, it landed directly on Hantan Peak, unleashing an earth-shattering roar.

BOOM—

The instantaneous roar generated an incredibly terrifying wave of air, flipping over all the profound boats within dozens of miles around. Some weaker profound practitioners saw black, their ears and entire bodies aching unbearably, and some even bled from all seven orifices and fainted on the spot.

The entire Hantan Peak visibly trembled. A massive crack split straight down from the peak, blasting open a shocking precipice.

At the edge of the precipice, a black figure appeared. Facing the peak experts from the eight great sects, his gaze was profoundly indifferent and piercingly cold.

Shouts of terror echoed across the surroundings, and deep horror appeared on everyone’s faces. They looked up at the black figure on the peak, their hearts churning with turbulent waves.

That was Yun Che, the one who had challenged the Nine Great Sects… merely his arrival carried such terrifying might.

Compared to the horrified onlookers, the eight figures on the peak remained unperturbed. Only Mingxiao… subconsciously took half a step back with his left foot.

Others had only heard, but he had personally witnessed and experienced Yun Che’s terrifying power.

He should have remained in his sect to heal his injuries. His personal presence today naturally implied his own intentions.

“You are Yun Che!?”

Facing Yun Che, a man in green robes slowly stepped forward. His face was grim, and his eyes were covered with a distinctly unnatural black aura. “It’s good that you dared to come today; it saves me the trouble!”

This man in green robes was none other than the Master of Taiyin Divine Palace, True Man Qingxuan, known to everyone in this realm!

Yun Che seemed not to have heard a word he said. His gaze swept over the eight figures, noting eight completely different auras, clearly from eight distinct sects. Slowly, his lips curved into a smirk, and he spoke in a low voice, “Eight people, one missing. Very good, one sect should be removed from this Eastern Ruin Realm.”

That cold smirk and his judgment-like whisper sent a sudden chill through everyone’s hearts.

“What an arrogant brat,” the Yaksha Devil Venerable said, squinting his eyes. “Oh? His profound energy is merely that of a Level One Divine King. Clan Chief Mingxiao, are you certain it’s this individual?”

“Heh, underestimate him, and you’ll suffer greatly,” Mingxiao said coldly. Before fully understanding Yun Che’s intentions for today, he certainly dared not rashly offend Yun Che again. However, in front of the public, he naturally couldn't humble himself and call Yun Che “Venerable Master.”

“Hmph, if we underestimated him, we wouldn’t have come here personally,” the Blood Hand Poison Lord scoffed. “It’s just that this brat is far more arrogant than expected…” He stretched out his right palm, strange greenish-black light flickering between his flexed fingers. “Therefore, his end will be far more tragic than he imagines!”

Their words and expressions were completely unmasked, clear enough for Yun Che to see and hear. Yet, he showed no reaction or concern. Instead, he slowly walked towards the eight, stopping precisely ten zhang in front of them.

Eight individuals: six Level Seven Divine Kings, two Level Six Divine Kings. In this realm, apart from the Meteorite Sun Sword Master, no one could stand against such a force.

Stopping, Yun Che spoke lightly: “Today I summoned you here to announce something.”

“From today onwards, I, Yun Che, shall be revered in the Eastern Realm!”

That single short sentence caused everyone’s expressions to change abruptly.

Yun Che slowly extended his hand, his eyes half-closed as he looked at the eight figures. “You have two choices: submit, or die!”