Chapter 242: Husband and Wife Battle (Part 3)

"Dragon Fault?" The name sounded vaguely familiar to Ling Jie. After pondering for a while, he finally exclaimed in surprise, "Isn't Dragon Fault the heavy sword recorded in our family annals? Could it be..."

"The records of Dragon Fault date back a millennium," Ling Yuefeng slowly explained. "At that time, Heavenly Sword Villa had only recently been established, and there was still a lineage dedicated to heavy swords. However, this lineage declined rapidly within just two generations. By the third generation, fewer than ten heavy sword practitioners remained. To seek a breakthrough and revive their lineage, the elder of the heavy sword branch took the Dragon Fault sword and ventured into the Deathly Wilderness. According to records, Dragon Fault was forged by our ancestor from ten-thousand-year-old Fiery Ash Rock, and it sealed the soul of a Sky Profound young dragon, hence its name. However, since its creation, Dragon Fault had never once displayed its true Sky Profound power. After the elder entered the Deathly Wilderness with the sword, he never returned, and Dragon Fault disappeared without a trace."

"According to the information we've gathered, Yun Che once ventured deep into the Deathly Wilderness, and the Sky Profound heavy sword he wields is identical to the recorded Dragon Fault. It must be Dragon Fault," Ling Yuefeng said, frowning. He deeply understood the implications of "venturing deep into the Deathly Wilderness."

"Ah... Father, are you considering... getting Dragon Fault back after the ranking tournament?" Ling Jie asked tentatively, carefully watching Ling Yuefeng's reaction.

"No," Ling Yuefeng shook his head. "Years ago, Heavenly Sword Villa searched for Dragon Fault for many years but found nothing and eventually gave up. His acquisition of Dragon Fault is due to his own ability and fortune; Heavenly Sword Villa has no right to claim it. However, it can be considered a fated connection between him and our Heavenly Sword Villa. After all, it was a heavy sword personally forged by our ancestor."

"This is the final battle of this ranking tournament. The victor will be the new overlord of the younger generation in the Azure Wind Empire and will receive the 'Dragon Scale Armor' bestowed by the Holy Land, Heavenly Might Sword Region..."

When "Dragon Scale Armor" was mentioned, a look of distinct pain flashed across Ling Wugou's face. Sky Profound armors were already much rarer and more valuable than Sky Profound weapons, and this Dragon Scale Armor was a top-tier item among them. It originally belonged to Heavenly Sword Villa, and the unexpected turn of events, where their initial plan turned into "handing it over," naturally caused them immense distress.

"Azure Wind Imperial Family's Yun Che against Ice Cloud Asgard's Xia Qingyue... The battle begins!!"

*Bang!!*Yun Che pulled Dragon Fault from the ground, sending small fragments of rock scattering. He unleashed his imposing aura without reservation, gripping Dragon Fault tightly with both hands. In an instant, his aura merged with that of the sword. He looked at Xia Qingyue and said in a low voice, "Do you remember what I told you that night? If we ever became opponents, I hoped you would use your full strength, without holding anything back!!"

"Burning Heart... Activate!"Yun Che suddenly roared, activating the Evil God's second realm, Burning Heart, without hesitation! Instantly, the profound energy radiating from him surged by an astonishing margin. His cultivation level remained at the tenth level of the True Profound Realm, but the intensity of his aura far exceeded the limits of the True Profound Realm by an unknown multitude. It even rapidly approached the strength of Xia Qingyue's aura.

"Aaaah!!" Ling Jie leaned forward, mouth agape, letting out a nearly terrified cry. Although he had lost the battle yesterday, he had thought that Yun Che's victory over him was a hard-won one. However, when Yun Che revealed Dragon Fault, his confidence had been severely shaken. And now, seeing Yun Che's profound energy suddenly surge, incomparably greater than yesterday, felt like a brutal hammer blow to Ling Jie's spirit.

It turned out that in yesterday's battle, Yun Che had not only held back on his weapon but also on his profound energy. If Yun Che had used this level of profound energy and Dragon Fault as his weapon yesterday, defeating Ling Jie would have been effortless.

However, the situation was not as simple as Ling Jie imagined. Yun Che's profound energy cultivation level was too low, but by breaking through to the second stage of the Great Way of the Buddha, he could barely maintain the Burning Heart state. It was only "barely," and if prolonged too much, it might even leave some lasting side effects. The maximum duration he could maintain the "Burning Heart" state was approximately five minutes. These five minutes in the "Burning Heart" state were his only reliance in his confrontation with Xia Qingyue! This meant he had to defeat Xia Qingyue within this short period, or once "Burning Heart" could no longer be maintained, he would have no hope whatsoever.

Yun Che's sudden surge in profound energy startled everyone, including Ling Yuefeng and Qin Wushang. Since the start of the ranking tournament, one astonishing and almost unbelievable revelation after another had unfolded regarding Yun Che. His true strength had never been fully revealed; as the tournament progressed and his opponents grew stronger, his power was gradually unleashed. Now, at this moment, his full strength was truly and completely unleashed, without any reservation.

Yun Che held Dragon Fault horizontally before him, let out a loud shout, and fiercely swung it towards Xia Qingyue. In his previous life, countless enemies had been far stronger than him. He knew perfectly well that in situations where escape was not an option, the most foolish way to defeat a vastly superior enemy was to try to outmaneuver or restrain them. The most probable path to victory was a concentrated burst of all one's power! Therefore, from the very beginning, Yun Che unleashed his full strength, holding nothing back! A wild, demonic aura of power surged from the over-eight-thousand-jin Dragon Fault.

*Boom!!*The sheer power of this sword strike made Xia Qingyue choose not to parry, but to drift far away. With a thunderous roar, the unfortunate Sword Discourse Platform once again suffered immense destruction. Yun Che, having missed his target, didn't pause for a moment. He leaped up abruptly and unleashed another sword strike directly at Xia Qingyue's chest, the heavy sword producing a wailing roar like a demonic spirit.

At that moment, the Ice Phoenix Snowfloss Silk encircled Xia Qingyue's body. Facing Yun Che's domineering sword strike, the Ice Phoenix Snowfloss Silk retracted slightly, causing Yun Che's attack to land harmlessly in the air. Immediately afterward, it darted up and tightly wrapped around Dragon Fault...

The Ice Phoenix Snowfloss Silk had once swept away Ling Yun's Celestial Mandarin Sword, but Yun Che and Dragon Fault had a flawless connection, as if the sword were his own arm. Even the Ice Phoenix Snowfloss Silk absolutely could not sweep it away. Just as the tearing force of the Ice Phoenix Snowfloss Silk activated, Dragon Fault suddenly let out a soul-shaking dragon roar. A formidable power surged forth domineeringly, instead repelling the Ice Phoenix Snowfless Silk. Yun Che's gaze was like a sword as Dragon Fault slammed down. As Dragon Fault descended, his Star God Broken Shadow activated simultaneously, instantly conjuring three identical figures. The third figure appeared diagonally above Xia Qingyue and struck down with a sword..."Overlord's Wrath!!"

The Star God Broken Shadow was silent and shapeless when activated. The illusory figures created were identical to the real one. What was most terrifying was the complete absence of profound energy fluctuations upon activation, making it possible to determine the real position only by the profound energy aura after the real body moved, but by then, it was often too late.

Xia Qingyue's Ice Phoenix Snowfloss Silk coiled forward, poised to meet Yun Che's domineering strike. However, a dangerous aura suddenly and strangely came from behind her. Her eyes widened in surprise, but the Ice Phoenix Snowfloss Silk was already too late to defend her rear. She could only quickly erect thick ice crystal barriers behind her using the Ice Cloud Art.*Boom!!**Clang!!*Three consecutive layers of ice crystal barriers shattered instantly. A massive impact force and explosive power propelled Xia Qingyue away like a storm. Before Xia Qingyue could regain her balance, Yun Che roared and, with Dragon Fault, charged directly towards her like a shadow.

"What!?" Chu Yueli stood up, frowning deeply. She had never imagined that Yun Che would seize the initiative right from the start of their exchange. The profound energy fluctuations from that previous strike were enough to cause Xia Qingyue internal injuries. However, this certainly didn't mean Yun Che's strength completely overwhelmed Xia Qingyue. Rather, he had immediately attacked like a raging beast, forcing Xia Qingyue onto the defensive.

A strike from Overlord's Wrath landed on Xia Qingyue's shoulder like a heavy hammer, instantly numbing her entire left arm. Her internal organs also sustained minor injuries from the profound energy impact. However, she didn't panic; instead, her gaze calmed. Chu Yuechan's advice from last night still echoed in her ears, along with Yun Che's words urging her to use her full strength. Her eyes narrowed slightly, instantly becoming as cold and pure as ice and snow. With a light, floating spin, she steadied herself, and the Ice Phoenix Snowfloss Silk suddenly shot out like a white lightning bolt, moving to meet Yun Che.

*Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!!*Every one of Yun Che's sword strikes produced a deafening roar. When clashing with a heavy sword, a frontal clash was the most unwise choice. However, when facing Xia Qingyue, Yun Che's heavy sword met its nemesis...The Ice Phoenix Snowfloss Silk was soft as water and nimble as a snake. When it met Dragon Fault, its formidable Ice Cloud power didn't directly collide with the heavy sword. Instead, utilizing its unique properties, it transformed into a powerful pulling force, repeatedly deflecting the heavy sword's attacks into empty space. Simultaneously, an increasingly pervasive cold silently enveloped Yun Che, and then, with a "crack," a thick layer of ice condensed on his shoulders.

The bone-piercing cold felt as if countless knives were stabbing into his body. Yun Che's eyes sharpened, and with a low growl, a cluster of crimson flames suddenly burst forth from his body, soaring to nearly a zhang in height in the blink of an eye. Beneath the crimson flames, the biting cold was rapidly dispelled, and the ice layers on his body quickly melted. At the same time, Dragon Fault was completely enveloped in crimson Phoenix flame, transforming into a massive fire sword, rushing forward with swirling sparks.

"He can actually ignite such intense flames! It seems his fire-element profound art is far from the mere beginner level he previously displayed.""But it's just the lowest-grade crimson flame..." A young disciple who had just spoken suddenly widened his eyes in shock. "Th-th-this... How is this possible!!"

In front of Xia Qingyue, countless ice crystals flew from all directions, converging to form a dreamlike pale blue ice lotus. The ice lotus slowly rotated, then suddenly dispersed, each petal transforming into seven ice crystals that flew towards Yun Che. Each ice crystal was as thin as a cicada's wing, clear and translucent, yet piercingly cold!"Blazing Star Demonic Lotus!!"Centered around Yun Che's body, a lotus of flames at least ten times larger than Xia Qingyue's ice lotus bloomed amidst towering heat waves. Like the gaping maw of a colossal fiery beast, it devoured all incoming ice crystals. Not a single ice crystal could approach Yun Che before it vanished completely.

Everyone around was stunned... Xia Qingyue's ice lotus could shatter even Ling Yun's sword gleam, so how could it be so easily melted by mere crimson flames!?

"This is...""Phoenix Flame!" Fen Moli exclaimed in shock.Ling Yuefeng's gaze immediately shifted to the Azure Wind Imperial Family's seating area... Could it be that Yun Che's master sect was actually the Divine Phoenix Sect!?