Chapter 199: Empty-handed Catch of the Flame Blade

From the moment Feng Juechen entered the Blue Wind Profound Palace, he held the top spot on the Inner Palace's Heavenly Profound List, a position no one could challenge. His astonishing background further solidified his status; to many disciples, he was a god-like figure, inspiring only awe and admiration. No one had ever dared to provoke him.

Yun Che was utterly the first person to ever speak to him in such a manner. Even the immensely arrogant Feng Bufan and Fang Feilong would never have dared.

Yet, upon hearing Yun Che's words, Feng Juechen showed no anger, not even a hint of emotional fluctuation. In his eyes, the person before him simply wasn't worthy of provoking his wrath. He calmly uttered three words: "And you are?"

"Yes, just me!" Unlike Feng Juechen, Yun Che made no attempt to conceal his rising anger. His perception of Feng Juechen instantly changed. The first time he met him, Yun Che had only sensed a profound, astonishing arrogance. Now, he realized that Feng Juechen was not merely arrogant, but also wildly conceited, with a haughtiness steeped in contempt. After all, Feng Juechen hailed from the Burning Heaven Clan, one of the Blue Wind Empire's most powerful sects. Born into such a family, he would have been raised with a clear distinction between "superiors" and "inferiors." Within the Blue Wind Profound Palace, he likely saw everyone else as beneath him. To discipline an "inferior" person would, to him, be almost an act of divine right.

"Oh, you two..."

The moment they met, the tension between them was palpable. Just as Qin Wushang was about to intervene, Cang Yue stopped him with a gesture and silently shook her head. She knew perfectly well that Yun Che was fiercely protective of those he cared about. While he might overlook or concede on other matters, harming anyone close to him was a severe transgression, touching his "reverse scale"—a point of no return.

In such a situation, no matter who stood opposite him, he would never back down.

"You're still not worthy," Feng Juechen said, a flicker of mockery crossing his stern face.

"Whether I'm worthy or not is for me to decide, not you." Yun Che's voice also grew cold. He advanced towards Feng Juechen and stated gravely, "It seems you have no intention of apologizing. Fine. I've given you a chance, but you threw it away... Now, not only will you apologize to Yuanba, but you will also kneel and kowtow!"

With that, Yun Che moved his feet, his speed exploding as he lunged, one hand grabbing for Feng Juechen's chest.

"You court death!"

Confronted by Yun Che's aggressive move, Feng Juechen didn't even lift his head, instead throwing a punch that instantly burst into flame. Yun Che's right hand quickly changed from a grab to a fist, meeting Feng Juechen's punch head-on.

*Bang!*

A powerful force, far exceeding Feng Juechen's expectations, erupted from the point of impact. Though he instantly became alert and rapidly channeled his profound energy, he was still unable to resist the sheer might of the blow. He was sent sprawling backward, staggering several steps upon landing, momentarily looking disheveled and caught off guard.

Yun Che, however, remained rooted to his spot, not even swaying, let alone retreating a step.

His right hand and entire arm throbbed faintly. An uncontrollable shock surged through Feng Juechen—this level of power simply couldn't belong to a practitioner of the True Profound Realm.

Yet, he, a fifth-level Spirit Profound Realm practitioner, had been forced into such a disarrayed state by a True Profound Realm disciple with a single strike. This was an unprecedented humiliation. For his ingrained arrogance, it was a profound trampling. Immense rage radiated from his body, and his eyes turned frigid.

Yun Che, facing him, chose that moment to add insult to injury: "Is this the power of the top-ranked disciple on the Inner Palace's Heavenly Profound List? It seems utterly unremarkable—truly laughable."

"You court death!"

This "You court death!" from Feng Juechen was entirely different from his previous utterance. The first was laced with mockery; this one, however, carried chilling killing intent. A flash of fire between his hands materialized an eight-foot-long crimson greatsword. This blade, the "Burning Heaven Blade," was not only the Burning Heaven Clan's signature weapon but also the essence of their profound skill.

"Draw your weapon," Feng Juechen said, his face grim. "I will grant you... a glorious death!"

Yun Che crossed his arms, sneering, "You're not worthy enough to make me draw a weapon."

"You court death!"

This time, those two words were laden with Feng Juechen's absolute fury and murderous intent. For the first time in his life, he, the son of the Burning Heaven Clan Master, was being treated with such utter contempt. As his rage and killing intent intensified, crimson flames blazed fiercely on his Scarlet Flame Blade.

*Swoosh!*

Feng Juechen's figure blurred. His flame-engulfed Scarlet Flame Blade tore through the air with a piercing shriek, slashing directly at Yun Che's head. Even before the blade reached him, an intensely hot wave of air washed over Yun Che. Yet, this heat had no effect on him; on the contrary, it brought a peculiar sense of comfort. Staring at the incoming Scarlet Flame Blade, Yun Che neither retreated nor advanced, neither dodged nor counterattacked. Instead, he slowly extended his right hand, reaching directly for the blade.

This action caused Qin Wushang, Cang Yue, and Xia Yuanba to blanch in shock. From Yun Che's posture, it was clear he intended to catch Feng Juechen's Scarlet Flame Blade with his bare hands!

Catching a bare blade with one's hands isn't entirely unheard of, but it only occurs between individuals with a vast disparity in power—a difference of at least five levels. Even then, it carries significant risk.

And who was Feng Juechen? Not only was his profound energy not weaker than Yun Che's, but it was five levels stronger! Furthermore, the Scarlet Flame Blade in his hand was an indestructible Earth Profound artifact! The Burning Heaven Flames engulfing it were powerful enough to melt steel. If this blade struck true, it could cleave through not just a human body, but even refined steel.

"Junior Brother Yun, dodge quickly!"

Cang Yue's eyes widened in horror, and she cried out. Qin Wushang was also deeply alarmed, but he was too far away. Even as a supreme expert of the Sky Profound Realm, he couldn't possibly intervene in time. He could only watch helplessly as Yun Che's right hand closed around Feng Juechen's Scarlet Flame Blade...

Then, the scene simply froze. There was no sound of flesh tearing, no sight of blood spurting, and certainly no image of Yun Che's palm or arm being severed. The Scarlet Flame Blade and Yun Che's hand were perfectly still, completely locked in place.

More precisely, Yun Che's hand had firmly gripped the Scarlet Flame Blade's edge, preventing it from descending even a fraction of an inch further. And it wasn't just the blade that halted; with a flicker of Yun Che's gaze, the flames on the Scarlet Flame Blade receded like a rapidly ebbing tide, extinguishing completely in an instant, leaving no trace of fire.

The captured Scarlet Flame Blade and the abruptly extinguished Burning Heaven Flames profoundly startled Qin Wushang, Cang Yue, and Xia Yuanba, but left Feng Juechen utterly aghast. Seizing the moment of his disorientation, Yun Che's profound energy instantly burst forth. Gripping the blade, he forcefully wrested the Scarlet Flame Blade from Feng Juechen's grasp. His left foot lashed out fiercely, delivering a powerful kick to Feng Juechen's lower abdomen, eliciting a grunt as he was sent sprawling backward onto the ground.

Yun Che casually tossed the Scarlet Flame Blade aside, then darted like lightning towards Feng Juechen, who lay prone on the ground. He brought his foot down heavily on Feng Juechen's back, instantly dispersing the profound energy Feng Juechen had just begun to gather.

"Yuanba, come here and accept his kowtowed apology," Yun Che commanded Xia Yuanba, his foot still pressing down on Feng Juechen. Yun Che's power was immense; his right foot felt like a colossal mountain on Feng Juechen's back, rendering him utterly unable to break free and rise, even with all his strength.

This outcome caught everyone completely off guard. Not only Xia Yuanba and Cang Yue, but even Qin Wushang was utterly stunned. Feng Juechen, who hailed from the Burning Heaven Clan and had reigned supreme in the Blue Wind Profound Palace, had been defeated by Yun Che, who was only in the True Profound Realm—and it was a devastating defeat! His Burning Heaven Blade, far from injuring Yun Che, had been caught by Yun Che's bare hand!

Hearing Yun Che's instruction, Xia Yuanba, still somewhat dazed, shuffled over. As he drew near, Yun Che's foot suddenly shifted from Feng Juechen's back to his neck, forcing Feng Juechen's forehead to slam heavily onto the ground.

"Yun Che, I'll kill you!" Feng Juechen roared like a beast, his entire body radiating an overwhelming, chaotic killing intent.

"Though he hasn't apologized verbally, his head has certainly hit the ground," Yun Che said nonchalantly to Xia Yuanba, his foot still on Feng Juechen. "Yuanba, if you're still not satisfied, come over and beat him up. I guarantee he won't be able to fight back."

"No... no need, it's... it's enough," Xia Yuanba stammered, swallowing hard and quickly refusing. He was unsure if he felt more excitement or terror. His brother-in-law had actually defeated Feng Juechen so effortlessly! Feng Juechen, the top-ranked disciple of the Inner Palace's Heavenly Profound List, had actually been made to kowtow to *him*...

His head swam, and it all felt utterly surreal, like a dream.

"I'll kill you... kill you... kill you!"

Feng Juechen's roars grew hoarser and more agonizing, but no matter how loud he screamed, he remained pinned beneath Yun Che's foot. Then, a column of flame suddenly erupted from his back, instantly shooting more than three meters into the air.

"Playing with fire in front of me?" Yun Che scoffed. With a subtle movement of his foot, the soaring flames suddenly reversed, tearing directly through Feng Juechen's profound energy defense and scorching his back.

"Ugh! Ahhh!"

Feng Juechen's eyes were wide, and he let out a scream of extreme pain. Yun Che leaned down slightly, looking down at him. "Feng Juechen," he said coldly, "you don't need to cry out so indignantly. Everything that happened today is your own doing! He who insults others will forever be insulted. Heh... As I say these words, are you perhaps thinking that insulting someone who is merely in the Nascent Profound Realm, with no power or background, just an 'inferior' in your eyes, is no big deal?"

"But in my eyes, your entire life isn't worth a single strand of Yuanba's hair!"

"I genuinely don't understand what gives you, Feng Juechen, the right to be so proud or arrogant. I heard you were utterly crushed by your second brother, Feng Juebi, which is why you came to *my* Blue Wind Profound Palace... From that moment on, you were nothing more than a sore loser who tucked his tail between his legs and fled here to hide!"

"I'm younger than you, and my profound energy is far lower than yours, yet you couldn't even withstand three of my moves. You call Yuanba trash? What about you? Calling you trash would be an overstatement! You, of all people, dare to look down on others? What a complete joke!"

Every word Yun Che uttered pierced Feng Juechen's heart like a dagger. Once he finished speaking, Yun Che swung his foot, sending Feng Juechen flying far away.

Feng Juechen slowly rose, his face pale, his entire body rigid with boundless hatred, killing intent, and humiliation. He didn't charge forward impulsively. Instead, he picked up his Scarlet Flame Blade, gritted his teeth, and declared, enunciating each word: "Today's disgrace... in the future... will surely... be repaid... a hundredfold... a thousandfold... ten thousandfold!"

With those words, he limped away, dragging his aching body, a tightly suppressed killing intent and resentment radiating from him. The direction he chose was not his residence or the Profound Gathering Tower, but towards the exit of the inner palace.

Watching Feng Juechen's retreating back, Yun Che's brows furrowed, and he took a deep breath. He had a premonition that his harsh lesson to Feng Juechen might very well have forged a formidable enemy for him—an enemy like a madman. Yet, he felt no regret.

"Palace Master Qin, my apologies," Yun Che said to Qin Wushang, a hint of regret in his voice. "I seem to have driven away another disciple meant to participate."

"This... *sigh*," Qin Wushang lamented. At this point, he couldn't possibly fault Yun Che for anything. He could only sigh and say, "Never mind, it's not your fault; he brought it all upon himself. Since he arrived at the Blue Wind Profound Palace, he's never shown anyone respect and has injured quite a few people. It was high time someone taught him a lesson. It's just that your words were quite harsh, and making him kowtow... *sigh*, he is, after all, the son of the Burning Heaven Clan Master. He's never experienced such humiliation since he was a child."

"I did this for his own good," Yun Che said indifferently. "With his temperament, if he hadn't suffered this minor setback today, he would surely face a much greater loss in the future. Hmph, he's still too young, after all."

His last statement, delivered with an air of profound experience, made Cang Yue couldn't help but smile, given that Yun Che was clearly younger than Feng Juechen.