Chapter 1631: Overestimating One's Abilities

Yun Che's words caused Tian Gohu's eyes to narrow. Immediately, the snorts and low laughter around them intensified, and countless pairs of eyes quickly averted from Yun Che, dismissing him with disdain.

Tian Gohu's smile turned slightly self-deprecating, and his voice softened. "It seems I overestimated you, even for a clown."

By then, Tian Gohu and the surrounding onlookers deeply felt that this person, barely describable as "shameful," despite being a Level Seven Divine Sovereign, was utterly beneath Tian Gohu's notice.

Tian Gohu's decision to step forward had, in fact, diminished his own standing and prestige.

"Nevertheless... very well," Tian Gohu said, nodding slowly, too weary to even offer more sarcasm. "Three moves it is. I shall thoroughly indulge you."

He extended three fingers, his demeanor and words now several times more contemptuous than before. "If you can last three moves against me, you win. Do you have anything else to say?"

Indeed, despite both being Level Seven Divine Sovereigns, he declared he would defeat "Ling Yun" within three moves!

Such a declaration, such audacity, such power, could only come from Tian Gohu.

It was also the most arrogant response, and the most complete humiliation, for this "Ling Yun."

Yun Che cast a sidelong glance at him, his gaze as dismissive as if he were swatting an ant. "Tian Gohu, you seem to have misunderstood something. I mean, if *you* can last three moves against *me*, you win."

At his words, Huangtianque fell into a sudden, stunned silence, followed by an explosive burst of wild laughter. Even the high-ranking Upper Realm Kings, whose status was immense, bared their teeth and twitched their brows.

"Furthermore, I shall grant you an additional boon," Yun Che stated, his voice still languid and low amidst the unrestrained mockery. "After three moves, if you can still stand, you win."

"Heh..." Tian Gohu's lips twitched, revealing what was perhaps the most helpless yet most contemptuous faint smile of his life.

"To waste so much time on such a madman is absolutely outrageous!" Huotianxing said coldly.

"It's quite amusing, isn't it?" the Viper Saint Monarch remarked, still smiling.

"Hahahahaha!" The Burning Moon Emperor's Son, Fen Jieran, bent backward with laughter, nearly collapsing to the ground.

If Yun Che had previously appeared as a comical clown to everyone, now, their gazes were fixed on him as if he were a completely deranged one.

While Tian Gohu's claim to defeat a peer in three moves would never invite ridicule, a fellow profound practitioner of the same level claiming to defeat Tian Gohu in three moves was perhaps the most preposterous joke in the entire Northern Divine Realm's profound way.

"Gohu, end this quickly," Tian Muyi instructed, clearly exasperated by the absurdity. Facing such a foolish and deranged Level Seven Divine Sovereign, even a one-move victory for Tian Gohu would bring no glory, only the feeling of sullying his hands.

"Yes, Father King," Tian Gohu replied, his expression becoming entirely composed and indifferent. His change in demeanor subtly influenced the crowd's mood, instantly silencing Huangtianque as all eyes settled firmly upon him.

"Since this is a wager concerning honor and dignity," a dry, low voice suddenly resounded. It was Yan Sangu, the leader of the Yan Ghosts from the Yama Devil Realm. "Then it should not be subject to any external interference, nor should there be any post-event repercussions. What are your thoughts?"

Yan Sangu's words were undoubtedly directed at the Demoness Yaodie.

Given the close ties between the Royal Heaven Realm and the Yama Devil Realm among the Three Royal Realms, Yan Sangu's statement came as no surprise.

"Rest assured, Yan Ghost King," the Viper Saint Monarch said, narrowing his eyes. "Aside from a few laughable nobodies, everyone present here is a person of repute and would not stoop to such a demeaning act that shames their own status."

Everyone present concurred.

"Well said," chimed in none other than the Demoness Yaodie. "What my Soul Stealing Realm despises most is deceit! This is a wager agreed upon by both parties, and as I, this demoness, am witnessing it, I will tolerate no injustice. Should anyone dare to cover up, cheat, interfere, or seek repercussions afterward, they will incur my wrath!"

Yaodie's words brought the entire venue to a sudden, stark silence.

Yan Sangu's statement was a precaution against Yaodie openly or covertly assisting Yun Che, given her earlier invitation to him and his companion, which suggested some special underlying reason.

Unexpectedly, her words proved several times more merciless than Yan Sangu's.

After the apprehension caused by the Demoness's declaration, the people of the Royal Heaven Realm felt their hearts completely lighten, as their last shred of worry had vanished.

"Begin," Yan Sangu said.

"You may begin," Tian Gohu said, his hands clasped behind his back. Facing an opponent of his exact profound cultivation level whom he intended to defeat within three moves, he neither drew a weapon nor assumed a defensive posture, instead leaving himself completely exposed.

He hadn't even activated his profound energy.

This was not foolish overconfidence, but rather the unique grandeur and self-assurance of Young Master Gohu—and indeed, profound contempt.

Indeed, he had never shown such utter disdain for anyone before.

Yun Che remained motionless, likewise neither drawing a weapon nor condensing profound energy.

"Enough," Tian Gohu murmured, pointing a finger. Black light pulsed between his digits, from which deep purple lightning tore through. "This uninteresting game, let's end it now."

Before his words even faded, the space abruptly darkened, filled with black energy, while above, a myriad of purple lights illuminated the sky. As a profound practitioner of the Northern Realm, Tian Gohu had reached the pinnacle in both dark and lightning profound energy. In that single instant, he caused everyone present to blanch.

While Tian Gohu could indeed defeat a peer in three moves at the Divine Sovereign realm, it would certainly not be effortless. Thus, no matter how disdainful his posture, he would never hold back his true power.

"This... is this truly the power of a Level Seven Divine Sovereign?" exclaimed a core figure from an Upper Star Realm, a cultivator of Level Ten Divine Sovereign, who had risen to his feet, his face etched with astonishment.

Tian Gohu's name resonated throughout the Northern Divine Realm, known even in the other three Divine Regions. However, after he progressed to the mid-to-late stages of the Divine Sovereign realm, few had witnessed him fight at full strength. Now, the moment he struck, the pervasive aura of power caused even the Level Ten Divine Sovereigns to feel an unmistakably clear sense of oppression.

Meanwhile, profound practitioners whose cultivation levels were clearly similar found themselves directly gasping for air, their internal horror beyond words.

"It seems Gohu intends to crush him instantly," Tian Muyi remarked placidly, his calm face betraying not the slightest hint of concern.

The Grand Elder of Arantian, Tian Muhe, gave a cold snort. "This 'Ling Yun' has lived long enough as it is. Why bother saving him any face? Just eliminate him, and be done with it."

"Kneel."

Tian Gohu whispered softly, and his figure vanished the instant the last syllable fell, leaving only a streak of pitch-black lightning exploding across the sky.

The lightning flashed abruptly, tearing a thousand-foot black scar horizontally across Huangtianque. Within this black fissure, thousands of lightning bolts hissed and glittered, each one, even a mere wisp, containing terrifying power capable of shattering mountains and destroying peaks.

Tian Gohu's figure materialized at Yun Che's previous spot, the black scar behind him lingering stubbornly. Yet, his expression had transformed; the earlier disdain and composure were gone, replaced solely by astonishment.

In the very next instant, he spun around sharply. Before his eyes, Yun Che stood precisely where Tian Gohu had been, his face utterly expressionless, hands still clasped behind his back, his posture identical to before. Not a single strand of his long hair or a fold of his robes showed any sign of having been disturbed.

Everything presented an almost unbelievable contrast to Tian Gohu's stunned expression.

"What's going on?" Tian Muyi stood up, his face full of shock.

No one answered him. Around him, every face was etched with astonishment. Even Yan Sangu's gaze was fixed, and the Burning Moon Young Master's casual smile froze on his face.

Given the caliber of the powerful individuals present, they had witnessed even the most advanced movement profound arts. Yet, not a single one had clearly seen how Yun Che had moved just now.

Furthermore, under Tian Gohu's impossibly strong aura of suppression, profound practitioners of the same level would find even simple movement incredibly difficult, let alone instantaneous displacement.

Yet Yun Che had instantly moved under Tian Gohu's power, apparently completely unscathed, his demeanor and aura so eerily calm that it sent shivers down their spines. How had he accomplished this?

The Demoness Yaodie subtly raised her head, her eyes narrowing ever so slightly.

"First move," Yun Che stated coldly, his voice reaching Tian Gohu's ears and causing his eardrums to vibrate uncomfortably.

"Sect Master Tian, did you see his movements clearly?" Huotianxing said in a deep voice. Tian Muyi shook his head.

"This is rather unbelievable," Huotianxing slowly rose, his gaze fixed on Yun Che, his expression unreadable.

"The profound energy fluctuations when he instantaneously moved were indeed unequivocally those of a Level Seven Divine Sovereign," the Viper Saint Monarch remarked softly. "If this old man's perception is not mistaken, there was a fleeting cold aura a moment ago."

"Ice?" Tian Muyi frowned. "Very few profound practitioners in the Northern Divine Realm also cultivate ice, and they typically prioritize defense over movement techniques..."

As Tian Muyi spoke, Tian Gohu had already turned to face Yun Che again, his expression now impassive. The profound energy he had been holding back was instantly unleashed with full force, rapidly expanding into a dark vortex around him.

Tian Muyi stopped mid-sentence, letting out a soft huff. "Never mind. Gohu hardly needs my concern."

"Very well," Tian Gohu said, his long hair fluttering, his eyes flickering between purple and black. His unleashed aura sent shivers through the hearts of profound practitioners one after another. "An unprecedented and peculiar movement technique. To think it made me momentarily flustered. It seems I underestimated you somewhat."

"However, if your arrogance stems solely from your movement technique..." Tian Gohu's brows furrowed slightly. "...then that would be quite disappointing."

Crackle!

A purple lightning bolt struck down, the heavens and earth rumbling in response. Everyone instinctively looked up, only then realizing that an immensely vast dark lightning domain, spanning a hundred *li* of space, had unfolded across the sky.

Without affording Yun Che any opportunity to react or escape, Tian Gohu pointed a finger. The lightning domain descended, instantly swallowing the space occupied by both himself and Yun Che, transforming a significant portion of Huangtianque into a boiling sea of lightning.

Evidently, the outcome of the first move had ignited Tian Gohu's fury, and he unleashed this dark lightning domain without any reservation.

No matter how exceptional a movement technique, it was utterly impossible to evade this vast lightning domain that unfurled in mere seconds. Yun Che remained still; everyone watched helplessly as he was consumed by the lightning domain, appearing to have resigned himself to his fate, showing no sign of resistance or struggle.

Indeed, that oppressive power, far exceeding the boundaries of a Level Seven Divine Sovereign and causing even Level Ten Divine Sovereigns to feel profound dread, was certainly enough to shatter a Level Seven Divine Sovereign's resolve.

"It seems to be over," Huotianxing said. "Although there was a minor surprise, the outcome remains tediously..."

His voice abruptly ceased, and his expression instantly shifted. Beside him, Tian Muyi's and the Viper Saint Monarch's expressions likewise transformed.

Within the boiling lightning domain, Yun Che's aura persisted, its position and intensity astonishingly unchanged from before.

Focusing their gazes, they pierced through layers of dark lightning, clearly seeing Yun Che standing perfectly still within the lightning sea. Though the surrounding darkness and lightning raged, he remained unmoving, like a steadfast rock against the wind.

"This is!?"

Tian Gohu, who was closest to Yun Che and within his own domain of power, clearly noticed the anomaly, his pupils suddenly contracting.

"Gohu!" Tian Muyi roared softly, "Attack!"

Defeating Yun Che within three moves was a wager Tian Gohu had personally accepted, witnessed by countless powerful figures. He could not, under any circumstances, afford to lose.

With a ringing sound, a black light flashed in Tian Gohu's hand as the Huangtian Sword was unsheathed. Its blade stirred the lightning domain, condensing dark thunder. In an instant, it was entwined with thousands of dark lightning bolts. It then pierced through the lightning domain and through space. As it neared Yun Che, the sword's light intensified, blindingly brilliant like a divine presence, aiming directly for Yun Che's glabella.

But...

There was no anticipated penetration or burst of power. The world suddenly fell into an eerie silence; even the furious crackle of the lightning domain ceased.

Amidst the abruptly extinguished lightning, the figures of Tian Gohu and Yun Che became visible. The Huangtian Sword, known throughout the Northern Divine Realm, rested against Yun Che's glabella. The sword's formidable power remained, lightning still coiled around it, and its divine light was still dazzling. Yet, Yun Che's glabella, directly struck by the Huangtian Sword, showed no sign of being pierced; not even a single drop of blood emerged.

As Tian Gohu's pupils dilated to their maximum, Yun Che slowly lifted his gaze. Simultaneously, he raised a finger, devoid of any condensed power, and his voice, as cold and eerie as before, echoed in Tian Gohu's ear: "Tian Gohu, do you truly believe you are fit to be my opponent?"

As his voice faded, his finger made contact with the Huangtian Sword and then lightly flicked it.