Chapter 1549: Absolute Despair?

“Surrender, or die!”

These few words, short as they were, rang out like an emperor’s arrogant judgment cast upon humble commoners. Yet, the eight individuals he faced were the most formidable existences in this entire realm!

All eight were momentarily stunned, then erupted into laughter, as if they had heard the most preposterous joke, or perhaps were simply laughing in furious disbelief. Given their power and standing, never had they been treated with such contempt! Not even a Great Realm King would dare speak to them in such a manner... this transcended mere “arrogance.”

“Heh, hahahaha!” The Lord of Star-Weariness burst out laughing. “Amusing, truly amusing! I expected some formidable figure, but instead, it’s just a lunatic who doesn’t know his place.”

“Retract your words, then get out of the Eastern Ruins Realm, and my Shattered Moon View will not make a move,” the Master of Shattered Moon View stated calmly.

“It seems our Eastern Realm has indeed been too peaceful for too long, for someone to dare trample on all of us. Heh, how ridiculous,” the Black Fiend Sect Master scoffed, glancing sideways at Mingxiao. “Patriarch Mingxiao, were you truly terrified by such a wretch?”

“…” The typically short-tempered Mingxiao, however, remained silent. What one heard and what one witnessed firsthand were always two distinct concepts. Moreover, Yun Che’s profound aura was indeed only at the first level of the Divine King Realm, whereas the weakest among the eight of them was a sixth-level Divine King. How could they possibly feel any pressure from him?

“Hmph! No need to waste words with him!” True Monarch Qingxuan declared in a deep voice. “Yun Che! Regardless of your background or origin, you killed my Taiyin Divine Palace’s Vice Palace Master and Grand Protector. Since I have come here personally, you will not leave this Cold Bloom Peak today!”

With a deafening hum, a half-zhang-long and wide azure cauldron materialized in True Monarch Qingxuan’s hand.

The appearance of the cauldron astonished everyone. “The Taiyin Ghost Cauldron!” exclaimed many, voices rising from both the ground and the air.

“Heh, to bring the very Divine Cauldron that guards the palace, it seems the Taiyin Palace Master is truly determined today,” the Blood Hand Poison Monarch said with a faint smile.

“Heh, how can the grudge for Zixuan not be repaid with blood? Speaking of which, aren’t you, Poison Monarch, in the same boat?” True Monarch Qingxuan remarked, glancing sideways. “The scent of your ‘Poison Hand’ is unmistakable!”

The Blood Hand Poison Monarch’s lips curved into a sneer. As a sinister gleam flickered, his right hand was already encased in a pitch-black glove. Instantly, a terrifying poisonous aura rapidly permeated the air, causing the expressions of all the sect masters to subtly shift. With the black glove now on, the Blood Hand Poison Monarch’s gaze upon Yun Che was that of a man looking at a corpse.

“Hahahahaha,” another peal of laughter rang out as the Lord of Star-Weariness slowly picked up a star formation plate. “It seems none of you intend to let him leave here alive.”

“Hmph, if someone dares to provoke and scorn our nine great sects like this, and we let him leave alive today, wouldn’t we become a laughingstock!”

Indeed, they had not underestimated Yun Che; Mingxiao’s severe injuries were undeniable. That was why they had come in person, each bringing exceptionally powerful profound artifacts. To kill a member of the nine great sects, and then to be audacious enough to provoke all of them single-handedly… how could they possibly let him escape a dire fate? Yun Che’s extreme arrogance and blatant disdain, while initially amusing, undoubtedly fueled their rage, ensuring their methods would be even more ruthless.

“This is your answer?” Yun Che’s eyes remained placid as he nodded slightly. “Very well.”

As his words faded, he took a step forward. A faint dark gleam flickered in his calm eyes, his long, black hair billowed without a breeze, accompanied by a sudden, invisible wave of oppressive power. It was indeed the aura of a first-level Divine King, yet for some unknown reason, this dark spiritual pressure from a mere first-level Divine King instantly permeated the deepest parts of their souls, causing all of them to feel a fleeting moment of fear. Yes, it was fear… fear that transcended their will, originating from the primal instinct of their souls. Though it lasted only for an instant, it caused their expressions to freeze. Accompanying that momentary fear was an undeniable unease. Mingxiao, in particular, who had personally experienced Yun Che’s power, clearly showed profound terror on his face… He then fiercely gritted his teeth, suppressing this unwelcome panic, a peculiar glint flashing in his eyes.

“Heh, impressive presence! A pity… you’re bent on courting death!” True Monarch Qingxuan, cauldron in his left hand and sword in his right, his hair and beard wildly flying, appeared like a phantom above Yun Che. His emerald sword blade whipped up an azure-black storm that violently descended upon Yun Che. It was a terrifying, sinister wind, as if emanating from the very depths of hell. In that instant, profound practitioners far below Cold Bloom Peak felt as though the gates of hell had swung open, mercilessly devouring them, prompting countless terrified screams. In the Eastern Ruins Realm, and even across the Five Phantom Ruins Realms, many high-level sects also cultivated profound wind energy. Wind empowering darkness, and darkness swirling into a storm, would generate incredibly astonishing destructive power. If its effects were already so profound far below Cold Bloom Peak, one could only imagine the true terror of this dark storm. True Monarch Qingxuan was the first to make a move; the others remained still. They wished to witness Yun Che’s true strength, and True Monarch Qingxuan was undoubtedly the perfect test.

Standing at the center of the storm, Yun Che’s black robes flapped loudly. But to everyone’s astonishment, facing True Monarch Qingxuan’s dark, sinister wind, Yun Che neither moved to retreat nor unleashed profound energy. Instead, he casually extended his arm and reached directly for True Monarch Qingxuan, right into the heart of the dark storm. This sight caused them to frown in bewilderment, then their eyes simultaneously widened. As Yun Che’s palm stretched out, the terrifying dark storm actually dissipated layer by layer, as if devoured by an invisible void. By the time his palm neared True Monarch Qingxuan, the dark storm had vanished without a trace; its former impressive might seemed like a phantom completely erased. This shock was immense. True Monarch Qingxuan’s eyes nearly burst from astonishment. Despite his profound shock, he didn't entirely lose his composure. He refrained from a strong sword attack. Instead, his seemingly ordinary azure robes shimmered with an unusual light, instantly transforming into a seemingly illusory yet solid pitch-black armor. With a colossal bang, Cold Bloom Peak shook violently. True Monarch Qingxuan, like a bundle of straw, was sent flying by Yun Che’s palm. His body successively smashed through over a dozen gigantic rocks before brutally embedding itself into the mountainside, accompanied by a large burst of blood mist. The Cold Bloom Mountain Range instantly became like a ghostly domain, terrifyingly silent. True Monarch Qingxuan, the Palace Master of the Taiyin Divine Palace, a formidable seventh-level Divine King and one of the acknowledged overlords of the Eastern Realm, was actually blasted away and severely injured by Yun Che in a single strike!

Yun Che raised his arm, his five fingers spread, and dark light flickered in his palm, instantly surging to meet the approaching dark vortex. The two forces of dark profound energy collided, instantly shrouding the entire summit of Cold Bloom Peak in pitch black. A bone-chilling cold instantly enveloped every corner of the mountain range. In the darkness, the four individuals’ bodies trembled violently, blood surging in their chests, barely preventing them from spewing it out. Facing the combined might of the two sect masters and two Grand Elders, Yun Che finally wasn’t completely unmoving; his upper body leaned back slightly, and his feet shifted back a small half-step. Although they combined the strength of four individuals, their situation was vastly inferior to Yun Che’s. Under the dark light effortlessly conjured by Yun Che, the dark vortex formed by their combined power was suppressed and devoured layer by layer. Their bodies felt as if countless blades were assailing them, suffering unbearable pain, as though they would shatter at any moment. The profound shock in their hearts was beyond measure. While they struggled to hold on, the other four did not advance. The Lord of Star-Weariness, True Monarch Qingxuan, and the Blood Hand Poison Monarch… strange currents of energy began to surge around them. As for Mingxiao, he had already retreated far away; being severely injured, it seemed only natural for him to not join the fight.

Boom!! With a thunderous explosion, the dark light burst, and the four individuals who had momentarily stalemated with Yun Che finally crumbled, all spewing blood as they were sent flying. Simultaneously, the light from the star formation plate in the Lord of Star-Weariness’s hand solidified. He spun, ascended into the air, and the star plate sharply descended, releasing a peculiar dark star formation that instantly enveloped Yun Che, who had just repelled the four, locking him at its core.

This sight brought expressions of joy to everyone’s faces. The Lord of Star-Weariness roared, “Attack!”

“Well done!” True Monarch Qingxuan leaped from the ruins. The Taiyin Ghost Cauldron flew from his hand, swelling to a hundred zhang in size as it reached the space above Yun Che, then violently descended, completely engulfing him.

“Hahahahaha!” Witnessing Yun Che swallowed by the Taiyin Ghost Cauldron, True Monarch Qingxuan let out a wild, cathartic laugh. “Yun Che! Let’s see how arrogant you can be now!”

Exclamations of shock rippled across the mountain. “Sigh…” The Eastern Cold King let out a heavy sigh and closed his eyes. Yun Che severely injuring True Monarch Qingxuan in a single strike, and single-handedly routing the combined force of four, was utterly astonishing. But when Yun Che was sealed by the Weary Star Formation and enveloped by the Taiyin Ghost Cauldron, the Eastern Cold King knew that everything was over.

“Ah…” Dongfang Hanwei tightly covered her lips, her body trembling, speechless. Though young, she also knew what the Taiyin Ghost Cauldron signified.

It was rumored that the Taiyin Ghost Cauldron had refined countless dark corpses, thereby accumulating endless death qi, ghost qi, and resentment. Once enveloped within it, one’s spirit would gradually break down amidst the dense, utterly terrifying death qi, ghost qi, and resentment. Once the spirit shattered, no matter how potent one’s profound energy or how resilient their body, they would swiftly be refined into a dark corpse. It was said that no one trapped inside had ever escaped. Furthermore, even as he was being engulfed, he was already ensnared by the Weary Star Formation.

“Hmph! No wonder he dared to provoke our nine great sects; in terms of raw power, he certainly has the qualifications. What a pity… this is his end!” the Lord of Star-Weariness sneered.

“Yun Che, you are the first to dare to scorn our nine great sects and the entire Eastern Realm to such an extent. As for your fate, you will know it immediately. All of this is your own doing,” the Blood Hand Poison Monarch said, opening his right hand. “Allow me to send you on your way!” He extended his right arm, and his right hand, adorned with the “Poison Hand” glove, instantly swelled to a hundred zhang. Its pitch-black claw-like fingers gripped the Taiyin Ghost Cauldron, releasing a dark, poisonous mist that caused onlookers’ expressions to change, directly into the cauldron’s depths.

Grand Elder Weeping Soul stepped forward, stating grimly, “To force us to this extent, your death will not be in vain! Unfortunately, it’s too late for you, even if you were to beg on your knees now!” As he spoke, he pushed his palm, and a small, pitch-black bell flew out, settling beside the ghost cauldron. As it swayed, it emanated layer upon layer of dark demonic patterns. Immediately, the entire Cold Bloom Mountain Range echoed with soul-stirring wails of ghosts. The Weeping Soul Bell! The premier demonic artifact of the Weeping Soul View! It was also the strongest demonic sound artifact in the Eastern Ruins Realm!

Star formation, ghost cauldron, poison hand, weeping soul… Observing the scene at the summit of Cold Bloom Peak, and feeling the incredibly terrifying aura and sounds, even from a distance, they could not begin to imagine the extent of the torture and despair Yun Che must be experiencing. Everything was utterly finished; this was the undeniable consequence of incurring the wrath of the nine great sects.