Chapter 1569: A Kick That Sends Flying

"A Level Five Divine King? What kind of joke is this?""Has the Southern Phoenix Divine Kingdom lost its mind?!""What's going on? Doesn't Southern Phoenix still have Nanhuang Jian?""Is Southern Phoenix just giving up entirely? No, this is more like deliberately humiliating themselves.""With Nanhuang Jian's strength, defeating Qi Hanshan isn't out of the question. Even if they're throwing in the towel, this is an incredibly shameful way to do it."

Astonishment, confusion, laughter, and ridicule flooded the arena. Drowned by gazes and a chorus of voices from all directions, almost no one from Southern Phoenix dared to look up. They had never in their lives felt so utterly disgraced.

"Heh, is Southern Phoenix intentionally trying to disgust us?" The Eastern Ruins Divine Sovereign sneered, casting a sidelong glance at the Southern Phoenix Divine Sovereign. "This was supposed to be a blessing from the heavens, yet they've managed to turn it into such an unsightly mess. Tsk, tsk."Previously, the lowest-level Divine King ever seen in the Central Ruins Battle was a Level Eight, which had already drawn prolonged ridicule, both during and after the fight. Now, Southern Phoenix had sent out a Level Five Divine King, even with Nanhuang Jian still available! What explanation could there be, other than a deliberate attempt to humiliate themselves and spoil the Central Ruins Battle for everyone else?

"Hmm?" The Eastern Ruins Divine Sovereign's brow suddenly furrowed the moment he spoke. "Yun Che?""How is it him!" Dong Jiukui's voice, clearly astonished, reached his ears simultaneously."He's Yun Che, the one who once dominated the Eastern Realm!" Dong Jiukui stated. "There's no mistake. How could he be with the Southern Phoenix Divine Kingdom?"

"It's one thing for that kid to run off to Southern Phoenix, but to be trotted out like a dog for a joke?" Dong Xuedai burst into laughter. "How utterly amusing! He's surely about to become infamous throughout the Eastern Ruins now, hahahaha.""Hmph! With his arrogant demeanor, he's a perfect choice for public humiliation," Dong Xueyan added with a sneer.

"What's going on?" Dong Xuedai and Dong Xueyan's comments made both the Eastern Ruins Divine Sovereign and Dong Jiukui turn to them. "Didn't you say you failed to meet him?"

"Indeed, he didn't come to our sect, but instead arrived directly in the Central Ruins Realm, where I happened to encounter him. He defied the wishes of my Eastern Ruins, offering neither apology nor remorse, and spoke insolently. It was clear he had no respect for my Eastern Ruins Sect."As he spoke, Dong Xuedai felt no lingering annoyance, only deep satisfaction. "So, when he came seeking refuge, I had Xueyan revoke the Eastern Ruins token given to him and expelled him. Hmph, if this weren't the Central Ruins Realm, I would have personally broken his limbs for his insolence.""After being expelled by my brother and me, Yun Che must have known he couldn't continue in the Eastern Ruins Realm. So, he shamelessly went to Southern Phoenix, only to be paraded out like a clown at a time like this, heh." Dong Xueyan chuckled, feeling a pang of shame recalling how she had personally gone to the Eastern Realm just a month ago to invite Yun Che.

Dong Jiukui frowned deeply."Is that so?" The Eastern Ruins Divine Sovereign's expression remained unperturbed as he asked, "Jiukui, didn't you say his profound energy was only at Level One of the Divine King Realm?""What I witnessed at the time was indeed so," Dong Jiukui confirmed. "However, it's quite clear he must possess a profound artifact that conceals his cultivation. There's absolutely no way he could have advanced so much in just one month. The cultivation he's displaying now certainly isn't real... After all, his victories over Sword Master Falling Sun and Old Ancestor Mingpeng were no fabrications."

"Did you witness it yourself, Lord Jiu?" Dong Xuedai inquired.Dong Jiukui shook his head. "I did not. But based on what I know, he definitely possesses extraordinary abilities.""So, your previous assessment of him was always just speculation, Lord Jiu," Dong Xuedai slowly stated. "If your guess was wrong, wouldn't my Eastern Ruins Sect have been completely made a fool of?"

"Enough. Let's just pretend this person never existed in the Eastern Ruins," said the Eastern Ruins Divine Sovereign. "Even if Yun Che did use some profound artifact to hide his cultivation, he'd at most be a Level Ten Divine King. Our Eastern Ruins battle formation doesn't lack him, so expelling him was inconsequential."He had been eager to find powerful external allies, concerned about Southern Phoenix's rise. Now, there was clearly nothing to worry about.

"Southern Phoenix!" The Northern Cold Divine Sovereign rose, speaking coldly. "Are you certain you're sending this individual into battle?""Of course," Southern Phoenix Chan'er replied.Moments before, they had suspected that this self-proclaimed Yun Che had presumptuously forced his way into the arena, but Southern Phoenix Chan'er's response was unwavering.The Northern Cold Divine Sovereign's brow furrowed. "This is the Central Ruins Battle, not a place for public humiliation!"That incredibly harsh remark made every person from Southern Phoenix flush with embarrassment. With Nanhuang Jian still standing there, to send a Level Five Divine King into battle... what else could it be but a blatant display of foolishness?

"Public humiliation?" Southern Phoenix Chan'er said calmly. "I don't understand what you mean, Northern Cold Divine Sovereign. Has his entry into the Central Ruins Battle violated any rules?""Heh, very well," the Northern Cold Divine Sovereign chuckled. "For the esteemed Southern Phoenix Divine Kingdom to display such an ugly spectacle, coexisting in the Gloom Ruins, even this King feels profoundly ashamed. Since that's the case, I shall eagerly witness the might of Southern Phoenix's chosen champion!"He waved an arm. "Western Ruins' Qi Hanshan, Southern Phoenix's Yun Che, begin!""Sect Master Qi, finish this quickly. The Central Ruins Battle is no place for trash!" the Western Ruins Divine Sovereign declared, not through a private message, but openly for all to hear.

Qi Hanshan's face was still twitching. To encounter a Level Five Divine King as an opponent in the Central Ruins Battle, a stage meant for peak Divine Kings, was utterly demeaning.After the Northern Cold Divine Sovereign shouted "Begin," he remained motionless, not even circulating his energy. Should he strike first? He couldn't bring himself to do it; it was too humiliating.Only after hearing the Western Ruins Divine Sovereign's command to "finish quickly" did he finally raise his palm, curl the corner of his lip, and say to Yun Che, "Did you hear that? This isn't a place for trash like you... Now get out!"As his voice fell, his body flickered, sweeping forward in a storm directly at Yun Che. His five fingers formed a claw, aiming straight for Yun Che's head, clearly intending to throw Yun Che out of the arena in the most humiliating manner possible.

Yun Che remained motionless, seemingly with no intention of resisting. A massive gap of half a major realm, impossible to bridge by any means, rendered resistance pointless. Losing directly might even lessen the mockery and cold stares.Everyone was absolutely convinced that Yun Che would be swept out of the arena in the next instant, and the Southern Phoenix Divine Kingdom's participation in the Central Ruins Battle would conclude in utter disgrace.Originally, had Nanhuang Jian fought, Southern Phoenix Divine Kingdom might have had a chance to salvage some dignity. Even in defeat, they could have at least showcased the brilliance of the Southern Phoenix lineage. Yet, they chose to present a Level Five Divine King instead... Perhaps, truly, out of extreme shame and fury, they were attempting to offend the entire Central Ruins Battle.

Only Qianye Ying'er remained indifferent, sitting with her eyes closed and head slightly bowed, not even sparing a glance at the battlefield. There was simply no need to look.She recalled the Profound Formation Assembly in the Eastern Divine Region, where Yun Che, with only a Divine Tribulation Realm cultivation, entered the Conferred God Battle, eliciting widespread disbelief and later, shaking countless souls. Yun Che's very existence seemed destined to overturn all common sense and understanding!

Qi Hanshan instantly closed in, his hand wreathed in black light just two feet from Yun Che's head. It was then that Yun Che, who had been motionless for so long, suddenly kicked out, striking Qi Hanshan directly in the abdomen.

*CRASH*The dull roar seemed to reverberate deep within everyone's chests. Qi Hanshan's profound energy instantly dissipated, his body bent at an exaggerated right angle, and he was sent flying backward with brutal force. He shot across the entire battlefield in an instant, crashing heavily into the Western Ruins Sect's area.

*RUMBLE*Qi Hanshan landed, his body plowing a several-mile-long trench in the ground before finally grinding to a halt.The Central Ruins battlefield instantly fell into a deathly silence. Everyone appeared to have had their throats suddenly seized, their eyes wide and mouths agape, unable to utter a sound for a long time.Yun Che, the one they had expected to be severely injured and thrown out of the arena, still stood at the very center of the battlefield, not having moved an inch, and without a single speck of dust on him.

"..." Behind the beaded curtain, Southern Phoenix Chan'er's beautiful eyes suddenly gleamed with an extraordinarily captivating light.

Under countless terrified gazes, as if they had seen ghosts, Yun Che remained impassive, showing not even a hint of excitement. He was chillingly calm, as if he had merely casually swatted a passing mosquito.

From the south of the battlefield, Southern Phoenix Chan'er's leisurely soft voice drifted: "The Western Ruins Realm King was right, trash indeed has no right to remain in this arena."

"..." The Western Ruins Divine Sovereign stood frozen, utterly unresponsive."This... this..." Nanhuang Mofeng, Nanhuang Jian... they all stood stunned, their gazes, even their minds, somewhat dazed.The Southern Phoenix Divine Sovereign unconsciously rose to his feet, staring intently at Yun Che... Even he couldn't believe his own eyes.

Silence, still silence. The Central Ruins Battle had never witnessed such a prolonged hush. Never before had such an utterly absurd scene unfolded in the Central Ruins Battle.

"What... what... what just happened?" Dong Xuedai, who had been eagerly awaiting Yun Che's miserable defeat, stood utterly stunned, as if struck by a blunt object, unable to recover for a long time.

"Urgh... Argh!"A profoundly painful gasp broke the suffocating silence. From within the dust, Qi Hanshan suddenly stood up. He glared fiercely at Yun Che, his mouth open as if to roar something, but before any words escaped, a jet of blood erupted... Immediately, the blood turned into a veritable fountain, gushing wildly from his mouth and all seven orifices. His entire body then toppled straight backward, and this time, he did not rise again.

"Sect... Sect Master Qi?"The disciples of Qi Wang Sect uttered trembling sounds. The Western Ruins Divine Sovereign leaped down, landing beside Qi Hanshan. With a sweep of his profound energy, his face instantly turned incredibly ghastly. He looked up at Yun Che, his gaze three parts furious, but seven parts horrified: "You..."Qi Hanshan's internal organs were shattered, and nearly half of his meridians were severed! Without immediate treatment, his life would even be in danger. The Western Ruins Divine Sovereign was intimately familiar with Qi Hanshan's cultivation. Yet, he had just taken only *one* blow from Yun Che... to be so grievously injured?!

Facing the furious glare of the Western Ruins Divine Sovereign, Yun Che remained oblivious, showing no reaction.

"Does the Western Ruins Realm King have something to say?" Southern Phoenix Chan'er spoke again. "Since you knew he was trash, yet still sent him to fight, is the Western Ruins Realm King perhaps telling the world that your Western Ruins Realm has nothing left but trash?"

Her voice was so gentle, yet every word carried incredibly harsh and cutting mockery. The Western Ruins Divine Sovereign's earlier remark, "Finish this quickly. The Central Ruins Battle is no place for trash," had been casually, yet ferociously, flung back in his face.

The Western Ruins Divine Sovereign's gaze suddenly turned cold and sinister. As the Realm King of the Western Ruins, he had always commanded awe and respect. Who dared speak to him like this? If it were the Southern Phoenix Divine Sovereign, perhaps, but Southern Phoenix Chan'er was merely a junior!

Southern Phoenix Chan'er turned her gaze, no longer looking at the Western Ruins Divine Sovereign, but directly at the Northern Cold Divine Sovereign: "Northern Cold Realm King, how do you find Southern Phoenix's 'spectacle'? If it still satisfies you, shouldn't you announce the victor?"

Countless gazes remained fixed on Yun Che, but these gazes had undergone a profound transformation. This Level Five Divine King, whom everyone had dismissed as a joke, had actually defeated Qi Hanshan in a single blow... While Qi Hanshan might have been careless, his immediate defeat was a tangible fact, leaving him severely injured and unconscious on the spot.And beyond Yun Che, there was Southern Phoenix Chan'er... this Southern Phoenix Princess, rumored and known for her cool, gentle demeanor and only average profound cultivation talent within Southern Phoenix, whose sole extraordinary trait was her exceptional beauty. Yet today, she had not only unexpectedly rejected Bei Hanchu's affections but now, in this very moment, she directly challenged the Western Ruins Divine Sovereign with her words, and even spoke with thinly veiled mockery to the Northern Cold Divine Sovereign!Not just outsiders, but everyone from Southern Phoenix was left in stunned silence. As they looked at Yun Che and then at Southern Phoenix Chan'er, they were overcome by a deep sense of unreality.