Chapter 198: Anger

Qin Wushang was stunned for a long time before he finally reacted. He quickly stepped forward to check the injuries of Feng Bufan and Fang Feilong, and the results left him speechless. Both men's shoulder bones were completely shattered, and the meridians in their shoulders were all severed. In such a state, let alone participating in the ranking tournament, they would need at least one or two months of quiet recuperation and could not exert any profound energy.

Qin Wushang was secretly astonished. Yun Che's strike just now was clearly very casual, not even using half his strength, yet it severely injured these two Spirit Profound Realm disciples who were among the top three on the inner palace's Heavenly Profound Ranking. He used his True Profound Realm profound energy, but managed to unleash such astonishing power... it was simply unbelievable.

After examining their injuries, Qin Wushang sighed, feigning concern, "Your shoulder bones are severely fractured... Alas, I'm afraid you won't be able to participate in this ranking tournament. Go to the medicinal palace quickly."

Qin Wushang's words made the two men's expressions change. The Azure Wind Ranking Tournament was the most grand and highly anticipated event in the Azure Wind Empire, especially for the younger generation. To personally attend the tournament was a lifelong dream. That was where the absolute peak of the younger generation gathered; in the future, they would become the dominant figures of the Azure Wind Empire's profound energy world. The sect masters and elders of various top sects, usually only heard of and rarely seen, would also gather at that venue.

For many young profound practitioners, whether they could achieve a good ranking in the tournament was secondary; merely being able to attend once was an invaluable life experience.

Feng Bufan and Fang Feilong were both nearing 21 years old, making this their only chance to participate in the Azure Wind Ranking Tournament. They had been so excited that they hadn't slept all night, waiting here early in the morning, ready to depart. They never expected Yun Che to arrive and instantly shatter their impending beautiful dream.

"Palace Master Qin, my injury... is not serious. I can absolutely continue to participate in the ranking tournament," Feng Bufan straightened up, enduring the intense pain in his shoulder, trying to appear calm.

"Don't force yourself," Qin Wushang waved his hand. "Your shoulder is temporarily disabled now. If our Azure Wind Profound Palace brings a disabled person to participate in the ranking tournament, wouldn't we be ridiculed?"

"Palace Master Qin!" Fang Feilong gritted his teeth and pointed at Yun Che. "This Yun Che... not only ambushed us but also maliciously struck us with heavy force! We are disciples representing the imperial family in the tournament. His severely injuring us is unforgivable! He crippled one of our arms, so as punishment, Palace Master Qin, you must at least cripple both of his arms and then expel him from the Azure Wind Profound Palace!"

"Enough!" Qin Wushang frowned and coldly snapped. "You yourselves know whether it was an ambush. If your skill is inferior, you should accept your defeat. Haven't you two maliciously used heavy force when sparring with others? If punishment were administered according to what you just said, both of you would have long been disabled with no bones left. It is indeed a pity that you cannot participate in the ranking tournament, but there is nothing to be done. What are you still doing here? If you don't go to the medicinal palace soon, your arms might be permanently crippled."

Qin Wushang was clearly biased towards Yun Che. This was understandable; given Yun Che's relationship with Princess Cang Yue and his astonishing displayed strength, Qin Wushang had no reason not to favor him. Feng Bufan and Fang Feilong both shot a venomous glance at Yun Che, muttered a few words, and then, clutching their shoulders, stumbled away.

"Palace Master Qin, can I represent the imperial family in this ranking tournament now?" Yun Che asked calmly after Feng Bufan and Fang Feilong left, as if what had just happened had nothing to do with him.

Qin Wushang gave a wry smile. "You've injured them to that extent, what other choice do I have?"

Cang Yue stepped in front of Yun Che, a joyous smile on her face. "Palace Master Qin, as you can see, Junior Brother Yun is much stronger than both of them. The power ranking in the Azure Wind Ranking Tournament is determined by the highest rank achieved by a disciple, not the average rank. Having Junior Brother Yun participate will be a hundred times better than having both of them combined!"

Just then, an anxious shout suddenly came from the inner palace entrance.

"Let me in... I just need to find someone... Please, please let me in. I promise to leave immediately after I see that person... Elder, just let me in..."

This voice made Yun Che and Cang Yue both freeze. Yun Che immediately turned his head towards the inner palace gate. "That's Yuanba's voice."

Cang Yue quickly said, "Palace Master Qin, let him in quickly. He must have heard that Junior Brother Yun is back, which is why he's so excited."

Qin Wushang nodded, releasing a powerful, penetrating voice. "Elder Xu, let him in."

The seal array at the inner palace entrance disappeared, and a tall, burly figure rushed in. As he got closer, he immediately saw Yun Che.

"Brother-in-law!!"

Xia Yuanba shouted with excitement, then completely ignored the presence of Cang Yue and Qin Wushang, bursting into tears and throwing himself at Yun Che, crying like a child. "They all said... you were dead... I knew Brother-in-law would be fine... This is great, this is great... Wuwu... Wuwuwuwu..."

After a long time apart, Xia Yuanba, already robust, looked even taller and sturdier. Yun Che patted Xia Yuanba's shoulder, comforting him with a smile, "Alright, I'm fine, aren't I? Your brother-in-law here is blessed with great fortune and life, it's not that easy to lose my life."

A giant's body and a child's heart—two vastly contrasting elements came together in Xia Yuanba. Others might find it awkward, but for Yun Che, this was the most familiar, most genuine, and pure Xia Yuanba.

It took Yun Che a while to finally calm Xia Yuanba down. For Xia Yuanba, Yun Che had been his only playmate, close friend, and brother-in-law since childhood. After they both stayed in the Azure Wind Profound Palace, Yun Che's repeated displays of skill filled him with increasingly deep admiration amidst his surprise. In his heart, Yun Che was as important as family. The news that Yun Che had died in the Death God's Wilderness a few months ago almost made him collapse.

Yun Che unconsciously sensed Xia Yuanba's profound energy aura and was surprised to find that his profound energy level was only at the seventh level of the Elementary Profound Realm! When they first arrived at the Azure Wind Profound Palace, Xia Yuanba's profound energy was at the sixth level of the Elementary Profound Realm. In a full eight months, he had only advanced one level in the Elementary Profound Realm, the most basic stage.

If this were in Flowing Cloud City, it might barely be acceptable. But this was the Azure Wind Profound Palace, with conditions and an atmosphere many times better, medicinal pill supplies, various profound skills, many experienced mentors, and a mature profound cultivation system. In such an environment, this rate of progress was simply too slow.

"Junior Brother Yun, somehow the news of your accident got out earlier. Yuanba cried terribly after he heard it... At least for Yuanba's sake, don't go to such dangerous places again in the future," Cang Yue said softly. Thinking of the infamous Death God's Wilderness, even though Yun Che was standing before her perfectly fine, she still felt a surge of lingering fear.

"Yes, yes, I will definitely listen to Senior Sister's instructions carefully," Yun Che, of course, quickly agreed.

Under their curious questioning, Yun Che briefly explained his experiences in the Death God's Wilderness to the three of them... Of course, he did not mention anything about the Little Fairy. Regarding the Dragon God Trial, he only said he encountered a fortuitous adventure. Unconsciously, a quarter of an hour passed, but Fen Juechen still hadn't appeared.

"Strange... Logically, Fen Juechen has been cultivating desperately to completely avenge himself against Fen Juebi in the Azure Wind Ranking Tournament. Why would he deliberately be late... Could it be that he forgot the time while cultivating in the Profound Gathering Tower?"

Qin Wushang immediately thought it was increasingly possible. He looked towards the Profound Gathering Tower and said to Xia Yuanba, "Yuanba, go to Profound Room Number One in the Profound Gathering Tower and see if Fen Juechen is in there. Profound Room Number One is on the right side of the second floor of the Profound Gathering Tower."

"Profound Gathering Tower... I... I'm going?" Xia Yuanba pointed at himself, first surprised, then uncontrollably excited. After all, the Profound Gathering Tower was a place only inner palace disciples were qualified to enter. It was said that cultivating there yielded twice the results with half the effort. Outer palace and middle palace disciples could only watch longingly, never daring to hope. And Fen Juechen was the top on the inner palace's Heavenly Profound Ranking, even the first in the entire Azure Wind Profound Palace, but all disciples outside the inner palace only knew his name, never seeing him. They were all full of curiosity and longing for him, yet never had the chance to meet him.

"Hmm, Yuanba, go ahead. The aura of the Profound Gathering Tower is very special; perhaps you can gain something from it," Yun Che then said. "However, if Fen Juechen really is in there, be careful when interacting with him. This person probably has a bad temper."

"Okay, I understand." Xia Yuanba, with an excited expression, trotted towards the tall tower that he could only view from afar before.

Qin Wushang hadn't guessed wrong; Fen Juechen was indeed undergoing his final cultivation before the ranking tournament and had forgotten the time. Not long after, Xia Yuanba returned, but not alone. A boy who looked seventeen or eighteen, dressed in black, with a stern, chiseled face, walked in front of Xia Yuanba. His gaze was as calm as stagnant water, utterly devoid of ripples. His steps were even and slow, and his entire being exuded an arrogance that had penetrated deep into his bones.

Fen Juechen!

Fen Juechen approached, his gaze lingering on Qin Wushang, Cang Yue, and Yun Che for only a moment, then he looked away, not bothering with a second glance. He walked directly to the largest of the three Giant Snow Condors and said coldly, "Let's go!"

He had kept Qin Wushang, the Vice Palace Master, and Princess Cang Yue, the imperial princess, waiting for so long, yet offered not a single apology or explanation. And not only that, he showed them no courtesy whatsoever, his "Let's go" sounding like a command. It was as if he believed himself to be the most important person in the world. Besides himself, nothing else entered his eyes.

Yun Che glanced at Fen Juechen, then looked at Xia Yuanba. Just as he was about to speak, he suddenly frowned because Xia Yuanba's walking posture was very unnatural, his right leg dragging continuously as if he had suffered some injury. When he walked, the swing of his right arm was also very abnormal... Xia Yuanba was trying very hard to pretend that nothing was wrong, but how could he hide it from Yun Che's eyes?

Yun Che quickly stepped forward, supporting Xia Yuanba. "Yuanba, what's wrong with you? Are you injured somewhere?"

"No... nothing." Yun Che's question immediately made Xia Yuanba panic. He quickly denied, "I just... I just accidentally fell when I was coming down the stairs of the Profound Gathering Tower."

"With your physique, even if you fell down the stairs ten times, you wouldn't be like this. What exactly happened? Did some inner palace disciple maliciously injure you?" Yun Che's eyebrows slanted like two sharp swords. "Tell me honestly! With me here... no one can bully you! No matter who it is, I will make them pay the price."

"It's... it's really nothing," Xia Yuanba continued to try to deny, when a voice filled with deep disdain coldly interjected, "This trash, only in the Elementary Profound Realm, dared to walk in front of me, so I taught him a lesson... What price do you intend to make me pay?"

Yun Che turned around, his gaze falling on Fen Juechen. As his eyes slowly narrowed, his gaze became icy.

"You injured Yuanba? Very good... Apologize to Yuanba immediately, then slap yourself three times. Otherwise, I'll make sure you can't participate in the ranking tournament for the rest of your life!"