Chapter 1991: Stampede

Helian Lingzhu was the first to be startled by this sudden turn of events. She moved like lightning, instantly stepping in front of Yun Che to block Zhailiancheng and Ximen Qi's view of him. "He... he's just one of my guards," she stammered.

"Yun Che, step back!"

"A guard?" Zhailiancheng raised an eyebrow. "With such delicate skin, I'd say he's the Grand Princess's kept male companion. Oh? And a Divine Sovereign, no less."

"You... you're talking nonsense! No! Of course not!" In her panic, Helian Lingzhu was already incoherent. She urgently called out again, "Yun Che, step back quickly!"

Zhailiancheng, however, abruptly stretched out a hand, and an invisible energy wall appeared in front of Yun Che. "First, answer Young Master Qi: What are you laughing at?"

Just as Helian Lingzhu was about to shield Yun Che again, she heard him say calmly, "Nothing, I just remembered something amusing."

This understated explanation, delivered without a hint of fear or hesitation, but rather with a casual air, was nothing short of a blatant provocation to the overbearing Zhailiancheng and Ximen Qi.

Zhailiancheng began to laugh, a leisurely yet dangerous sound. "What happy thing is it? Tell Young Master Qi and me; perhaps we'll find it amusing too."

"Hmph!" Yun Che's lips twitched, letting out an undisguised sneer. "What? Do you need me to spell it out clearly?"

"What I'm laughing at, of course, are two ignorant, foolish, and disgraceful clowns."

"Are you satisfied with that answer?"

Helian Lingzhu's face instantly turned ashen. Mo Cangying was so shocked that even his turbulent profound energy froze.

Zhailiancheng's and Ximen Qi's faces froze simultaneously, but only for a moment. Then, their lips curled into grins. What bloomed on their faces was not outrage, but a deep sense of amusement, even a hint of excitement. After all, who wouldn't enjoy humiliating and crushing an arrogant fool? Who could resist a toy that delivered itself right to their doorstep?

"Yun Che..." Helian Lingzhu's voice trembled noticeably. "Are you... insane? They are... they are..."

"He's courting death!" Mo Cangying muttered, a deep sense of helplessness in his heart.

"Hmph hmph hmph, good, very good!" Zhailiancheng's gaze swept over Yun Che several times. Upon closer inspection, his eyes subtly changed, and a flicker of jealousy suddenly arose in his heart.

Beings of the Abyss live their entire lives under the invisible erosion of Abyssal Dust, their bodies constantly bearing a grayish, decaying aura, and their skin often appearing dark and rough. Yet, the person before him had features as exquisitely sculpted as if carved, eyes as deep as the black abyss, skin like jade, brows like swords, and long hair seemingly dyed by the darkest night. A few shallow marks were etched on his face, clearly from unhealed wounds, yet they did not detract from his splendor. Instead, they added a touch of sinister allure to his already refined and transcendent handsomeness.

He was, quite simply, the most perfect pretty boy he had ever seen in his life! Jealousy easily breeds hatred, and with it, a desire for brutal torment, even in the absence of any prior grudge.

"Lord Helian, your daughter has truly found herself quite a guard." He smiled, his amusement growing, as did the danger in his expression.

Helian Jue took a deep breath and said in a heavy voice, "He..." He wanted to state that Yun Che was not Helian Lingzhu's guard and had no connection to the Helian Imperial Family. However, Helian Lingzhu had just urgently "admitted" to Yun Che's guard status. If he denied it now, it would only make things worse, so he bit the bullet and changed his statement: "This young man only recently arrived in the Lin Yuan Realm, and his origins are unclear. He is merely temporarily serving as Lingzhu's guard and has not been officially registered. His words and actions have no connection to my Imperial Family. How you two wish to deal with him is entirely at your discretion."

Helian Lingzhu's eyes widened. "Father..."

"Yun Che, get out of here!" Helian Jue roared.

Yun Che scoffed inwardly... This spineless lord was finally trying to act mighty.

"Get lost? And where do you plan on going?" Ximen Qi raised an eyebrow. "After insulting me and Young Master Panxuan, do you think you can still walk away?"

Helian Lingzhu gritted her teeth but still insisted, "Young Master Panxuan, Young Master Ximen, Yun Che is merely an outsider and knows nothing of the Panxuan Sect or the Bailin Alliance. As the saying goes, ignorance is no sin. This princess... will immediately send him out of the Lin Yuan Realm and ensure he never appears before you two again."

"Hahahahaha!" Zhailiancheng burst into laughter. "The dignified Grand Princess of the Imperial Family, actually shielding a mere 'outsider' and 'guard' to this extent? It seems you're truly deeply enamored with this pretty boy. I suppose it won't be long before he's pampered day and night, with feasts and revelry! Oh, Brother Cangying, the woman you've been fawning over for so many years has probably already been used and discarded by this pretty boy, haha..." He suddenly remembered that Helian Lingzhu was the woman Ximen Qi coveted and was determined to possess, and he forcibly choked back his wild laughter.

As the Grand Princess of Helian, Helian Lingzhu had never heard such humiliating words. She trembled all over. "You... you..."

Mo Cangying knew full well that Yun Che and Helian Lingzhu had only just met and had no deep connection whatsoever. Yet, his blood still surged, and his face instantly flushed crimson. This wasn't entirely due to outrage over Zhailiancheng's insults towards Helian Lingzhu, but also because, in his eyes, Helian Lingzhu's repeated active approaches and shielding of Yun Che had indeed "crossed the line."

He took a step forward, about to speak, when Yun Che's casual voice drifted from behind him, just as before:

"So what? What are you two clowns going to do to me?"

If his previous words could barely be considered fearless ignorance, then this statement was blatant provocation and contempt.

Zhailiancheng stopped smiling, his narrowed eyes reflecting a cold, sinister glint. "Are you looking for death?"

Yun Che, however, smiled. He casually crossed his arms over his chest and said unhurriedly, "With faces like gluttons, acting like foxes borrowing a tiger's prestige, yet shamelessly claiming no one under a Divine Master can rival you. Calling you clowns is even giving you too much credit. So, how is that 'courting death'?"

"..." Helian Lingzhu suddenly grabbed Yun Che's sleeve, but only her eyes trembled. Her lips were speechless with horror.

Mo Cangying also suddenly turned, staring at him, somewhat stunned. Although it was clearly courting death, Yun Che was doing what Mo Cangying wished he could do but dared not, and saying what he wished he could say but dared not.

"Heh, hehehe..." At this moment, Ximen Qi was truly enraged. "With those few words, even if the Jade Emperor himself were here today, he wouldn't be able to save you!"

"Is that so?"

Facing the sudden surge of killing intent from Ximen Qi, Yun Che showed not the slightest fear. Instead, he unhurriedly stepped forward. "So, how exactly do you plan to kill me?"

"Oh?" Yun Che raised an eyebrow. "This Young Master Ximen is supposedly unrivaled under a Divine Master. Since we're both Divine Sovereigns, I suppose defeating and killing a mere princess's guard like me will be as easy as flipping your hand, won't it?" He was half a foot taller than Ximen Qi, and as he drew near, his gaze naturally took on a condescending air. And what was reflected in his eyes was clearly an undisguised look of disdain and mockery. It was as if the person standing before him was not the son of the Bailin Alliance Master, but truly just one of the "disgraceful clowns" he had spoken of.

Ximen Qi's expression suddenly turned grim. What made him even more uncomfortable was a sudden, inexplicable feeling of suffocation. Indeed, he could never have imagined, even in death, that the one standing before him was an emperor who governed a vast world.

The malevolence in Ximen Qi's eyes grew steadily more violent, contorting his smile. He flexed his wrist and said sinisterly, "Someone so eager to die is truly a rare sight. Since you've come knocking, how can I, Young Master, not grant your wish?"

The moment his voice fell, his palm shot out, his five fingers transforming into terrifying rock blades amidst a decaying light, aimed directly at Yun Che's throat. The two were only a step apart, and Ximen Qi had struck without warning. No one had time to react, let alone intervene and stop it... Only Helian Lingzhu let out a horrified shriek.

Bang!!

It was as if a hundred thunderclaps had exploded simultaneously. Amidst the bursting, decaying light, a figure suddenly shot backward, then violently slammed into the wall of the Imperial Hall.

Helian Lingzhu's shriek abruptly ceased, and Zhailiancheng's faint, mocking smile froze on his face, his pupils suddenly constricting. Because as far as his eyes could see, Yun Che was still standing in his original spot. His expression remained a faint smile, his body hadn't moved an inch, and not even a single strand of his hair seemed to have been disturbed.

Zhailiancheng suddenly spun around... The figure that had slammed into the wall was now tumbling awkwardly to the ground. It was none other than... Ximen Qi?!

Thud!

Ximen Qi's head and knees hit the ground simultaneously, leaving him in a posture remarkably similar to a dried-up toad. In such an undignified posture, he remained motionless for several breaths, his wide eyes filled with a dazed confusion, as if he had suddenly plunged into an absurd nightmare.

Zhailiancheng was stunned. Helian Lingzhu, Helian Jue, and Mo Cangying were all completely frozen in place.

Ximen Qi finally jolted awake from his nightmare. He violently sprang to his feet, his gaze locked onto Yun Che, and shrieked with bloodshot eyes, "You..."

A fierce gust of wind whistled past. Ximen Qi had only just managed to roar out a single word when a dark shadow suddenly loomed large in his eyes.

Boom-bang—

Yun Che kicked him squarely on the head. In an instant, Ximen Qi's protective profound energy completely shattered. His body, led by his head, once again slammed violently into the wall. Rubble exploded as the incredibly tough wall of the Imperial Hall directly cracked. Ximen Qi's head, which had previously been brimming with arrogance and wildness, was completely kicked into the wall by Yun Che. Only his body hung outside, twisting and swaying grotesquely.

"This is the so-called 'unrivaled under a Divine Master'?" Yun Che's foot ground on Ximen Qi's head, which was completely embedded in the wall. His voice dripped with extreme mockery. "This is truly enough to make one split their sides laughing! We're both Divine Sovereigns, yet you cut such a pathetic figure under the hand of a mere princess's guard, and you still dare to shamelessly brag. Calling you a clown is even flattering you."

Helian Lingzhu's lips parted, and she stared wide-eyed for a long time. Helian Jue even forgot the searing pain in his heart meridian. But the most shocked and bewildered of all was Zhailiancheng. He knew Ximen Qi's cultivation level better than anyone. Ximen Borong had suppressed his cultivation for years, preventing him from breaking through, and many supreme spiritual medicines brought by Ximen Boyun from the Pure Land had been used on him. Within the Lin Yuan Realm, no one of the same cultivation level was his match... This was no idle boast. Even the phrase "unrivaled under a Divine Master" had been personally uttered by Ximen Boyun himself in praise. And Yun Che, too, was indeed at the peak of the Divine Sovereign Realm. How could this be...?

"Gurgle... gurgle!" From within the wall came a muffled, painful gurgle, followed by a nearly heart-rending shriek.

RUMBLE!!

The wall collapsed with a loud bang, and Ximen Qi, sent flying sideways, awkwardly managed to free himself from under Yun Che's foot. He staggered to his feet, blood pouring from his face and the back of his head. He fiercely wiped his face, the blood coating his palm making his gaze even more savage. Yet, he felt no pain, for the wildly boiling humiliation and viciousness in his heart had almost completely incinerated every cell in his body.

He was Ximen Qi, the son of the Bailin Alliance Master, and the future Bailin Prince. Given his extraordinary talent and Ximen Boyun's unreserved praise, it was certainly not impossible for him to be established as the Crown Prince in the future, displacing his elder brother.

He had been sent flying, his head stomped on... and by someone who was merely a Divine Sovereign of the same realm, a guard to a fallen imperial princess, someone who hadn't even been worthy of his attention before! Such an unprecedented humiliation, impossible to erase even with a thousand deaths!

"You dog! You trash! You bastard! You vile slave!" He hissed the most venomous words he could think of through gritted teeth. "I will personally... skin you alive!"

"You?" Yun Che's gaze was entirely that of someone looking at a pathetic fool.