Chapter 547: Cloudzhe Strikes

King Huai threw his head back and roared with laughter. Shaking his head, his face full of scorn, he tutted, "Tsk, tsk, tsk. The Yun Family, once ranked first among the Guardian Families, glorious for ten thousand years, now doesn't even have the courage to face a challenge. It needs other families to protect it. How pitiful and pathetic! Such a Yun Family doesn't even deserve a direct look from me. If it can still remain a Guardian Family, it would truly be the biggest joke in the Illusory Demon Realm, a complete farce. Hahahaha!"

"Brother Yun, don't listen to him!" Su Xiangnan said with a frown. "He's just trying to provoke you. The glory of your Yun Family is evident to everyone; no one can erase it. More than anyone, I believe the Yun Family's decline is merely temporary. With you, Yun Qinghong, and the protection of your ancestors' heroic souls, the Yun Family will surely rise again!"

"I completely agree with Patriarch Su," Yan Zijing said, nodding emphatically. Then, he sent a direct sound transmission to Yun Qinghong using profound energy: "Absolutely do not accept! Otherwise, there will be no turning back for anything, and even our families and royal estates will suffer immense setbacks."

Under everyone's gaze, Yun Qinghong slowly rose to his feet. There was no panic or anger in his expression; instead, he looked at King Huai and smiled faintly. "I agree with what Che'er said," he stated. "This challenge, my Yun Family will certainly accept!"

"What?!" Mu Yubai, Mu Yukong, and Mu Yuqing, the three brothers, shouted in unison, "Brother-in-law, are you insane?!"

"No, I'm not," Yun Qinghong said with a chuckle. Though he was at the eye of the storm, he was the calmest person in the room. "If someone issues a challenge, my Yun Family will naturally fight. This has nothing to do with the fate of my family. Over the past ten thousand years, my Yun Family has faced countless challenges. We have won countless times and also suffered defeats, but we have never cowered!"

"If someone dares to fight, my Yun Family dares to accept! We can lose, and we can afford to lose, but even if we suffer a crushing defeat, we will never lose our dignity!"

Yun Qinghong's words were impactful, piercing the hearts of all listeners, echoing throughout the hall for a long time. They instantly instilled deep admiration and conviction in countless people.

Old Master Mu raised his hand as if to speak, but after a moment of hesitation, he finally lowered it, sighing, "Alas, I knew you'd make this decision. You Yun Family folks are all so stubborn—Yun Canghai was, and you, young man, are too... Oh well, so be it. Since you've chosen to accept the challenge, then my Mu Family will fight alongside you."

"Haha, this aura... it truly is Yun Qinghong from twenty-five years ago!" Su Xiangnan laughed heartily with relief after a moment of silence. "In that case, my Su Family will certainly lend our full support!"

"Count my Tianxia Family in!" Tianxia Xiong Tu declared loudly. "Since Brother Yun has put it that way, let's stand together!"

"And of course, our Yan Family won't be absent!" Yan Zijing nodded emphatically to Yun Qinghong.

The Little Demon Empress, on the imperial throne, remained silent despite Yun Qinghong's strong plea. Her eyes flickered as she looked at the Yun, Tianxia, Su, Mu, and Yan families on her left. She had long known King Huai's ambition and clearly understood the severity of the situation. Yet, under these circumstances, these five families were still willing to stand by her. This unadulterated loyalty, and the heroic spirit they collectively displayed in a situation that was almost certainly doomed to failure, caused the Little Demon Empress, whose heart had been frozen by hatred and sorrow for a hundred years, to feel "moved" for the first time.

"Heh heh heh, Yun Qinghong is Yun Qinghong after all," King Huai sneered, the corners of his mouth tilting upward. "You truly haven't disappointed me. Even knowing you're bound to lose, you're still absolutely unwilling to be a coward."

"But you have disappointed me," Yun Qinghong replied in a flat tone, imbued with deep contempt.

This calm demeanor and profound contempt made King Huai feel incredibly uncomfortable. He snorted coldly and immediately averted his gaze.

At this moment, Yun Che stepped forward and said in a voice loud enough for those nearby to hear, "Father, may I speak a few words to King Huai on your behalf?"

Yun Qinghong glanced at him and nodded slowly.

"Good!" Yun Che raised his head and directly faced King Huai. His question to Yun Qinghong and his subsequent action instantly drew everyone's attention to him. Earlier, the Little Demon Empress had asked Yun Qinghong about Yun Che's identity, making everyone present aware that he was not a member of the Yun Family but Yun Qinghong's adopted son. His rash shout of "accept the challenge" before Yun Qinghong had even spoken had already earned him considerable disdain from many, and they now scoffed at his sudden move to speak to King Huai.

"Oh? You have something to say to me?" King Huai said with a faint smile, glancing sideways at him.

"I just want to ask King Huai a few questions," Yun Che said with a harmless smile. "Regarding the challenge you proposed: if we lose, does our Yun Family have to withdraw from the ranks of the Guardian Families?"

"That's correct," King Huai replied with a mocking smile. "As for the reasons, I believe I've already explained them clearly enough."

"Oh!" Yun Che nodded, then asked, "And what if we win? What benefits would we gain?"

"Win? Hahahaha!" King Huai turned his head and then threw it back, roaring with laughter. On the eastern side of the hall, many instantly erupted into laughter, as if they had collectively heard the funniest joke imaginable. Even on the western side, faces twitched.

Yun Che said with a beaming smile, "What's the meaning of King Huai's laughter? Since this is a contest of strength between two sides, there will be winners and losers. In this world, there is no contest where one side can 'absolutely' win! If there were, then the match would be meaningless. And if it's meaningless, then there's naturally no need to proceed, is there, King Huai?"

King Huai's smile faded. For the first time, he examined Yun Che with interest. The young man before him was incredibly calm and composed when facing him; even his eyes showed little ripple of emotion. From him, King Huai vaguely saw Yun Qinghong's shadow. He smiled faintly and said, "You're very right. Since it's a contest, anyone could lose, and anyone could win. But aren't the consequences of winning or losing clear enough already? If we win, your Yun Family will be removed from the Guardian Families. If you win, then you will naturally remain among the Guardian Families, and we opponents will have nothing more to say."

"Does His Royal Highness King Huai not find his own words ridiculous?" Yun Che's expression shifted, and he suddenly displayed a mocking smile.

"Ridiculous?" King Huai raised an eyebrow.

"Not just ridiculous, but utterly ridiculous," Yun Che said, his gaze turning aggressive, even showing clear and undeniable contempt when facing the eminent King Huai. "If we lose, the entire Yun Family must leave the place it has resided for ten thousand years. The fate of tens of thousands of our family members will be turned upside down, and the consequences will be utterly catastrophic."

"But if *you* lose, there are absolutely no consequences!" Yun Che sneered. "Where in this world is there such an unfair arrangement?! This contest is, in essence, a gamble. Our side's stake is the fate of our Yun Family, while you... you don't even have a stake! What's the point of comparing in a contest that lacks even the most basic fairness?"

King Huai's eyes narrowed, then he burst into loud laughter. "Hahahaha, Yun Qinghong, you've truly taken in a good adopted son! He even knows how to make a show of aggression to achieve a defensive aim. But to think such a clumsy method could make me give up is a bit too ridiculous. You want me to put up stakes, is that it? Very well, I'll grant you this opportunity. Tell me, then, what kind of stakes should our side put up?"

"Since His Royal Highness King Huai has put it that way, I'll take the liberty." With a confident gesture, Yun Che pointed to the seven Guardian Families behind King Huai and declared, "If we ultimately win, then the Helian, Chiyang, Bai, Nangong, Lin, Jiufang, and Xiao families must each deliver five catties of Purple Vein Divine Crystals to our Yun Family within one month! And you, King Huai, must gather twenty catties of Purple Vein Divine Crystals and deliver them to my Yun Family's doorstep!"

As Yun Che's words left his mouth, everyone in the hall was dumbfounded. The expressions of the seven great Guardian Families on the eastern side changed dramatically. Even Yun Qinghong's facial muscles twitched violently. If they lost... each family had to deliver five catties of Purple Vein Divine Crystals to the Yun Family... *five catties of Purple Vein Divine Crystals*, not Purple Vein Heavenly Crystals, and certainly not ordinary Amethyst Stones!

Five catties of Purple Vein Heavenly Crystals were already priceless, but Purple Vein Divine Crystals were considered sacred artifacts of heaven and earth. In the worldview of over ninety-nine percent of the Illusory Demon citizens, they were holy relics that existed only in legends, too valuable to be merely described as "precious." Five whole catties of Purple Vein Divine Crystals—even for Guardian Families with top-tier standing, strength, and resources—would take at least a hundred years to accumulate! With the power of five catties of Purple Vein Divine Crystals and a Guardian Family's foundation, they could easily cultivate at least five Tyrant Emperors under thirty years old. The most crucial reason for the drastic decline in strength among the Yun Family's young disciples in this generation was the severe restriction of resources, especially Purple Vein Divine Crystals... they hadn't acquired a single bit for a hundred years. If any Guardian Family actually handed over five catties of Purple Vein Divine Crystals, then the strength of their next generation, for the following hundred years, would inevitably plummet just like the Yun Family's... Meanwhile, the Yun Family, having amassed a vast amount of Purple Vein Divine Crystals from seven families, would find it difficult *not* to rise powerfully.

What's more, there was King Huai's entire twenty catties... King Huai might not even be able to gather twenty catties even if he ruthlessly ransacked all sixty royal estates aligned with him, and doing so would certainly cause discontent and even resentment among many of those royal estates.

The "stakes" Yun Che had named were simply outrageous!

Therefore, even though they knew their side absolutely could not lose, the expressions of the seven families and various royal estates changed dramatically. Several patriarchs trembled all over, wishing they could point at Yun Che's nose and curse him vehemently.

Faced with such "stakes," King Huai also became a little unsettled. He sneered faintly and said, "I didn't expect you to be so young yet have such a huge appetite. However, let alone you being just Yun Qinghong's adopted son, even if Demon King Yun Canghai were alive, he would have no right to command me or the families and royal estates behind me. On what grounds should we obey you if we lose, huh?"

"That's an excellent question, King Huai!" Far from rendering Yun Che speechless, King Huai's words only made his voice suddenly rise a few notches. "Then I will give His Royal Highness King Huai the clearest answer: If we win, it proves that we are stronger than you! Between heaven and earth, strength reigns supreme! The stronger one's power, the greater their right to speak and control! As the strong, one has the right to decide everything, while the weak don't even have the right to refuse the decisions of the strong! This holds true in any world, at any level!"

"Is His Royal Highness satisfied with this answer?"

King Huai's face instantly stiffened, and everyone was once again dumbfounded. These were the impassioned and ambitious words King Huai himself had proclaimed earlier when challenged by Tianxia Xiong Tu, now thrown back into King Huai's face by Yun Che, word for word.

"These were His Royal Highness King Huai's own words. Does His Royal Highness still remember them?" Yun Che said with a sly smile. "Oh, if His Royal Highness is someone who doesn't stand by his own words, then just pretend I didn't say anything, hehe, just pretend I didn't say anything."

Many on the western side couldn't stop grinning. Old Master Mu Feiyan grinned and muttered, "Tsk, tsk, this kid... Even though he can't possibly win, and asking for a hundred times more wouldn't make a difference, making that fellow nauseated is still satisfying!"

King Huai's face darkened slightly, and he remained silent for a long time. In this world, the hardest words to refute are one's own... because to refute them would undeniably be to slap one's own face.

"Arrogant junior, what right do you have to speak here!!" Jiufang Kui, the Jiufang Family Patriarch, could no longer tolerate it and rose, roaring furiously. Faced with five entire catties of Purple Vein Divine Crystals, no one in the entire Illusory Demon Realm could remain calm.

"Your Royal Highness King Huai, there's no need to pay attention to this junior!" Helian Peng said in a deep voice. "Yun Che, what do you think you are? What right do you have to clamor before King Huai? Hurry up and get lost!"

"Hahahahahaha!" Yun Che threw his head back and laughed heartily. He shook his head, looking at King Huai and the seven Guardian Families, his face full of disdain and mockery. "If we lose, the Yun Family will lose ten thousand years of its mission, status, and glory. Yet, even facing such a cruel outcome and under absolutely disadvantageous circumstances, my Yun Family still dares to fight!"

"But if *you* lose, it's merely losing five catties of Purple Vein Divine Crystals! Compared to the Yun Family's ten thousand years of glory, let alone five catties, even five hundred catties wouldn't be worth mentioning! What a pity, truly a pity... When clamoring to expel our Yun Family, each of you was more excited than the last. But now, under absolutely advantageous circumstances, facing stakes that are millions of times smaller than those of my Yun Family, you cower to this extent. Tsk, tsk, tsk, how truly ridiculous and pathetic! To be called one of the Twelve Guardian Families alongside such a group, I feel ashamed for my Yun Family!"

"You!!"

"And you, King Huai!" Yun Che completely ignored the murderous glares from the patriarchs, staring at King Huai and sneering, "You're always rallying people to expel my Yun Family, always setting up contests, always claiming it's for the entire Illusory Demon Realm... I thought you had great courage, but it turns out you're nothing special! I merely proposed stakes far smaller than ours, yet you don't even have the courage to agree, still needing the people behind you to clamor for your protection. Heh heh, compared to my father... Oh no, no, as it stands now, you don't even have the right to be compared to my father."

Having finished speaking, Yun Che didn't even bother to look at King Huai. He turned to Yun Qinghong and said, "Father, I think it's better not to have this match. Those on the other side are a bunch of ridiculous cowards. Taking them seriously would simply lower the Yun Family's standing."