Chapter 548: The Duel

The King of Huai, who had always appeared calm as water, as if everything was under his control, turned ashen for the first time.

"Hahahaha! Good lad!" Grandfather Mu burst into hearty laughter, completely unconcerned by the King of Huai's suddenly unpleasant expression. Previously, they had been consistently suppressed by the King of Huai, almost to the point of suffocation. Now, with Yun Che's appearance, he had not only provoked the seven opposing families into a collective rage but also caused the King of Huai to show a frustrated expression. It was truly exhilarating.

Everyone realized they had completely underestimated this young man. Facing the King of Huai, his demeanor remained utterly calm and composed, his aura undiminished. His words were incredibly sharp, leaving the King of Huai speechless and making the seven family heads tremble.

What was even more astonishing was his immense courage! Standing opposite him was the Esteemed King of Huai, the head of the Guardian families, a figure even the Little Demon Empress deeply feared. Yet, Yun Che not only faced him with vigor but also cursed him freely and without reservation. The mighty King of Huai was called a "pus bag" and a coward unworthy of being compared to Yun Che's father. The disdain in Yun Che's eyes and the scorn in his tone were clearly visible and audible to everyone.

Just based on Yun Che's few words, the King of Huai had already developed a killing intent toward him. His mind raced as he quickly assessed his side's combat strength and the strongest twelve individuals the opponent could field. After considering all possible uncertainties, he concluded that his side absolutely could not lose.

Therefore, he could only think of one explanation: Yun Che was clearly feigning confidence and power to make him apprehensive, thereby avoiding a battle that would utterly humiliate his side!

This was the only possibility!

Realizing this, the King of Huai immediately calmed down. Addressing Yun Che's back, he said, "Yun Che, your solo act is too clumsy. Did I say I wouldn't dare to accept?"

"Oh?" Yun Che turned around, a fleeting flicker of surprise in his eyes. Though it lasted only for an instant, the King of Huai's sharp gaze clearly caught it, and he scoffed inwardly: Just as I thought.

"So, King of Huai, you've agreed?" Yun Che said with a serious expression. Raising an eyebrow, he chuckled faintly, "However, it seems your agreement alone isn't enough. Do you represent the seven Guardian families behind you?"

"Heheheh," the King of Huai had completely regained his composure. He smiled and said, "This king has never truly feared anyone in his life, and certainly won't fear this so-called wager you've proposed. To me, this wager's conditions are irrelevant, because this king... absolutely cannot lose! Hahahaha."

The King of Huai burst into laughter, not overly boisterous, but filled with deep arrogance. He turned to the seven Guardian families and asked, "Esteemed family heads, do any of you have objections?"

"If His Highness the King of Huai has no objections, then naturally, neither do we." The family heads nodded in unison. Seeing the King of Huai's confident expression, they too calmed down, realizing simultaneously: Exactly, if the duel proceeds according to the rules proposed by the King of Huai, how could their side possibly lose? The disparity in overall strength between the younger generations of both sides was immense. Their side had not only no chance of defeat but even if only six individuals were to fight, they were absolutely confident they could crush the opponent's twelve!

Let alone twelve against twelve!

So, the so-called wager proposed by Yun Che, while sounding astounding, was fundamentally just an impossible fantasy!

"Did you hear that?" The King of Huai squinted at Yun Che. "You have your so-called wager. Can this match, which will decide the fate of your Yun Family, begin now? Or do you need to find more excuses to stall?"

"Stall?" Yun Che looked surprised. "Why would I stall? I've agreed to this match from the very beginning, and I'm eager for it to start immediately. However, since the King of Huai also knows this match concerns the fate of my Yun Family, then the fairness of its process and the enforcement of its result are paramount! This match must have the most authoritative arbiter."

Yun Che finished speaking with righteous indignation, then turned to the Little Demon Empress, bowing. "Little Demon Empress! Please witness the entire process and the final outcome of this match, and after the match, proclaim the final result to everyone present... and even to the world!"

The Little Demon Empress gazed steadily at Yun Che. After a long moment, her voice, clear as ice, rang out, "Whether your Yun Family can continue as a Guardian family is a decision that rests solely with this Empress, and no one else in the world! Even if there were ten times more people against your Yun Family, if this Empress does not agree, no one has the right to interfere with your Yun Family's fate. However, once the match begins, if you ultimately lose, you will inevitably have to abide by the pre-match 'wager' and will no longer be able to remain a Guardian family. At that point, this Empress will also be unable to keep you... Even so, are you certain you still wish to fight?"

"We must fight!" Yun Che said without hesitation. "Your Little Demon Empress's high regard is something our Yun Family is eternally grateful for. But what we fight for this time is not just the fate of our family, but its dignity! If we don't fight, even if the Little Demon Empress, in her immense grace, allows our Yun Family to remain in its Guardian position, there will be more voices demanding our departure, and the world will look down upon us. Our Yun Family is determined to use this battle to permanently silence those with malicious intentions!"

Yun Che's words deeply resonated with the Yun Family members. Their fists clenched, and they nodded in unison, no longer viewing him as impulsive or reckless. The Little Demon Empress frowned, then looked up at Yun Qinghong... Yun Qinghong slowly nodded back at her.

"Good!" The Little Demon Empress stood up, and an aura like a vast ocean instantly permeated every corner. Her words, each like a resonating bell, declared, "Then this Empress will personally witness this battle! If the King of Huai's side wins this duel, the Yun Family must immediately lose its qualification as a Guardian family. If the Yun Family's side wins, then the Helian, Chiyang, Bai, Nangong, Lin, Jiufang, and Xiao families—each of you seven families—must gather five jin of Purple Vein Divine Crystals within one month and deliver them to the Yun Family's doorstep! As for you, King of Huai, you must personally gather twenty jin of Purple Vein Divine Crystals and hand them over to the Yun Family within the same timeframe!"

"These are the wagers you yourselves have agreed upon. Whichever side loses, there shall be absolutely no going back on your word! Otherwise, this Empress will be the first to show no mercy!"

"Thank you, Little Demon Empress!" Yun Che exclaimed loudly, immediately after the Little Demon Empress's declaration. Then, he turned to face everyone in the hall. "And to all of you, brothers, sisters, and seniors from all corners of the world, who belong to my Illusory Demon Realm, I ask you to also bear witness! With all the heroes of the realm watching, if the losing side dares to renege on their word, they would truly be discarding all shame. At least, our Yun Family would absolutely never do such a thing."

With the heroes of the realm bearing witness, this was undoubtedly the most powerful form of attestation! The outcome of this duel would, thanks to the presence of these heroes, spread to every corner of the Illusory Demon Realm. If, under such witness and observation, the losing side were to go back on their word and act dishonestly, then truly, as Yun Che had said, the entire family would completely lose face.

"Well said, truly well said. For the Little Demon Empress and the heroes of the realm to bear witness, it couldn't be better." The King of Huai's eyes narrowed into slits. The more confident and impassioned Yun Che's side appeared, the calmer and more relaxed he became. In his view, this was clearly the opponent, knowing their inevitable defeat, desperately trying to salvage some last shred of dignity for the Yun Family in this manner. He had exhausted all his lifelong wisdom but could not conceive of any way or possibility for the opponent to reverse the situation.

"Enough talk!" The Little Demon Empress waved a hand, her eyes like cold stars. "Both sides will have three hundred breaths of time to prepare and decide who will participate. Each side will field twelve individuals, none exceeding thirty-five years of age! This Empress will personally select the battleground for you!"

"We humbly obey the Little Demon Empress's decree." The King of Huai casually cupped his hands but made no other move, watching the Yun Family side at his leisure. He already knew exactly who would participate from his side and had no need to waste time on selection.

Yun Che returned to his seat, a solemn expression on his face. Xiao Yun's complexion alternated between flushed and pale with excitement; after all, this duel concerned the fate of the entire Yun Family! He asked nervously, "Big Brother, are you... are you really sure this is okay?"

Yun Che's brows twitched slightly. He turned to Yun Qinghong and asked, "Father, do you trust me?"

Yun Qinghong looked at him and smiled. "You are my son. If I don't trust you, who else in this world can I trust?"

A warmth spread through Yun Che's heart, and he smiled. "Father, don't worry, I won't betray your trust."

Yun Qinghong, however, shook his head. "Che'er, you don't need to put too much pressure on yourself, nor do you need to shoulder all the burden. Having been pushed to this point, this match must be fought, regardless of victory or defeat. What if we lose? What if we are expelled from our Guardian position? As long as our family remains, the Yun Family, no matter where it is, will have a day of resurgence! If we win, naturally everyone will rejoice. If we lose, we can afford to lose!"

Yun Qinghong's words swept away the tension in Xiao Yun's heart like a gentle breeze. His expression relaxed, and he clasped his hands, saying, "Father, you said it perfectly! Exactly, even if the Yun Family loses, Father, Mother, and Big Brother will still be here! What is there to be afraid of then?"

"Heheh," Yun Che chuckled. He then said very earnestly, "Father, Mother, Xiao Yun, put your minds completely at ease! Although I don't have absolute certainty that we'll win this match, I promise you, even if we lose, we absolutely will not be expelled! The dignity of our Yun Family will not be stained in the slightest... In fact, when the time comes, even if we wanted to leave, the whole world wouldn't agree!"

"Huh?" Xiao Yun blinked hard, his face a mixture of surprise and bewilderment.

In contrast, the Su, Yan, Mu, and Tianxia families were even more nervous than the Yun Family.

"Zhizhan, you are the core combat strength for our side in this battle! Remember, this isn't just about the Yun Family; you must give it your absolute all!" Su Xiangnan told his son solemnly.

"Father, rest assured, I will definitely give my full effort." Su Zhizhan's expression was resolute.

"Chengkong, our Yan Family will naturally be represented by you. Remember, don't slack off just because you think we're destined to lose. This battle concerns not only the Yun Family's fate but also our Yan Family's future and dignity! Even if we are to be defeated, let it be a valiant defeat! Let it be a defeat that showcases the heroism of our Yan Family!" Yan Zijing gripped Yan Chengkong's shoulder.

"Yes! I will never bring shame upon the Yan Family." Yan Chengkong nodded heavily.

"Sixth Child, you'll be up later." Tianxia Xiong tu said simply, but his gaze conveyed everything.

"Sixth Child, no matter who your opponent is, absolutely do not hold back!" Tianxia Yiyi said.

"Sixth Brother, good luck." Tianxia Qiqi said, her face filled with nervousness.

"Father, and everyone, rest assured, I know what this battle means... How could I dare to slack off!" Tianxia Liu said with a solemn expression.

"Hengyi, you are the most outstanding person of our Mu Family's younger generation. This time, you will represent the family in battle. Your opponents are far stronger than us; are you afraid?" Mu Feiyan asked personally. Mu Yubai, Mu Yukong, and Mu Yuqing were all unmarried and childless. This Mu Hengyi was the eldest grandson of the Third Grand Elder.

"Family Head, rest assured. Although my cultivation is shallow, they won't find it easy to defeat me!" Mu Hengyi declared with full vigor.

One person each from the Su, Yan, Tianxia, Mu, and Yun families would participate. The remaining seven individuals would come from the various Royal Palaces. Among these seven, two were at the bottom ranks of the "Illusory Demon Seven Sons" and were naturally chosen. For the other five, the Kings deliberated extensively.

Amidst a tense and solemn atmosphere, three hundred breaths of time quickly passed.

"Time's up."

The Little Demon Empress, who had been silently closing her eyes, opened them. Then, she soared up and instantly teleported to the center of the hall. From beneath her gray robe, her snow-white jade arms unleashed a scorching, dazzling red firelight.

Instantly, a hundred-zhang-wide crimson ring was deeply imprinted onto the jade floor at the center of the hall. This fiery red ring was composed of countless tiny, yet eternally burning, flames.

As the core hall of the entire Illusory Demon Realm, every brick and tile here was incredibly difficult to destroy. There were very few individuals in the entire Illusory Demon Realm who could instantly imprint such a large mark here. This was also why, in previous Demon Emperor Grand Ceremonies, the duels between the twelve families and Royal Palaces always took place within the hall, eliminating the need to find another venue.

"This circular area is the arena! In the duel, if one side admits defeat, falls to the ground for more than ten breaths, or is struck out of this circular area, they will be considered to have lost!"