Chapter 556: One Strike

"That's right, you certainly don't need a weapon, because whether you use one or not, the outcome will be precisely the same!" Jiufang Yu said, his lips twitching.

"Are you sure you want to stand still and let me attack thirty times first?" Yun Che twisted his wrist, a provocative glint in his eyes.

"Enough talk!" Jiufang Yu was growing impatient. "For trash like you, forget thirty moves. Even if I stand completely still and let you strike three hundred times, you won't be able to harm a single hair on my head!"

"Oh, really?" Yun Che's face showed surprise as he flexed his wrist more vigorously. "In that case, I'd like to put it to the test."

Jiufang Yu's statement was not merely ignorant boasting. A significant chasm lay between the Sky Profound Realm and the King Profound Realm, and the disparity between the King Profound Realm and the Tyrant Profound Realm was an insurmountable gulf. The difference between the Sky Profound Realm and the Tyrant Profound Realm was akin to that between heaven and earth. A Tyrant Emperor could release a casual burst of profound energy for defense, and even a Sky Profound practitioner attacking with full force wouldn't be able to harm a single hair.

The Sky Profound Realm and the Tyrant Profound Realm weren't just different levels; they were practically two entirely different worlds!

Thus, while most people found Jiufang Yu arrogant and dismissive, no one, apart from those privy to Yun Che's true combat strength, believed he was overestimating himself.

Yun Che stepped forward, casually approaching Jiufang Yu and stopping three paces in front of him. He then slowly raised his right arm and demonstratively flexed his fist, confirming once more, "When I strike you, are you absolutely certain you won't block?"

"Hmph!" Jiufang Yu sneered. "Are you deaf? I said that if I even move an inch, let alone block, you win! This is my act of great benevolence, offering a chance to a piece of trash like you. Dilly-dally any longer, and I'll blast you off this platform right now!"

"Alright!" Yun Che nodded, raising his fist. "In that case, I'm going to strike. Make sure you can take it!"

As the final word left his lips, Yun Che swiftly stepped forward and launched a punch directly at Jiufang Yu's chest.

Yun Che's punch wasn't particularly fast, and the profound energy aura emanating from his fist was unmistakably that of a peak Sky Profound practitioner. However, the profound energy field wasn't strong, making it clear to anyone watching that Yun Che hadn't even unleashed his full power.

Many in the hall scoffed. No weapon, no full strength—that seemingly feeble punch. "Forget Jiufang Yu," some thought, "even I could easily withstand that."

"What a suicidal fool..." Jiufang Yu sneered as he watched Yun Che's fist slowly draw nearer. He certainly wouldn't move, but that didn't mean he wouldn't retaliate. In his view, a mere ripple of profound energy would be enough to cripple Yun Che's hand.

Reading Jiufang Yu's expression, Yun Che could guess his thoughts and sneered inwardly. His right fist, which had been swinging seemingly effortlessly, suddenly accelerated. It landed on Jiufang Yu's chest with a soft-looking yet unusually dull "thud."

As expected by everyone, Jiufang Yu didn't take a single step back under Yun Che's punch, nor did his body even sway.

A wave of laughter immediately swept through the hall. However, it didn't last long, gradually fading as everyone suddenly realized something was... off.

Under Yun Che's heavy blow, Jiufang Yu certainly didn't recoil, nor did his body wobble. His expression remained utterly frozen until Yun Che unhurriedly withdrew his fist from his chest. Still, Jiufang Yu's face remained unchanged, and no expected taunts or sarcastic remarks escaped his lips.

Yun Che stepped back, a faint smile playing on his lips as he observed Jiufang Yu.

"W-what's going on?"

"Ugh... ugh..." Finally, a hoarse gurgle escaped Jiufang Yu's lips. His eyes were wide, bulging grotesquely as if about to pop from their sockets. His body slowly sagged like a sack of mud, collapsing to his knees before toppling onto the ground. He lay there, curled up like a shrimp, clutching his chest in agony, his entire body convulsing. Cold sweat streamed down his forehead like rain, followed by copious amounts of blood mixed with white foam gushing from his mouth. Moments later, blood also poured from his nostrils, eyes, and ears.

"Wh-what was that?" Everyone in the hall was dumbfounded, almost petrified with shock. Several clan patriarchs, the County King, and various elders abruptly rose, their faces a mask of utter disbelief.

"Yu'er!!"

After a moment of stunned silence, Jiufang Kui's face drained of color. He shot from his seat, landing beside Jiufang Yu, and yanked him off the ground. After a swift circulation of profound energy through his son's body, Jiufang Kui's expression changed dramatically once more. He glared furiously at Yun Che, "You..."

Upon his examination, Jiufang Kui discovered that his son's internal organs were completely displaced, and more than a dozen ribs were severely deformed. While none were broken, their condition was more horrifying than a fracture—they looked as if they had been forcibly bent. Aside from his vital points, Jiufang Yu's entire chest cavity was practically a pulpy mess, and countless meridians had been ruptured.

The injuries could only be described as "exceedingly grave," many times more horrific than Jiufang Kui had ever imagined.

"He's been on the ground for ten breaths, Patriarch Jiufang. You... have lost!" Facing Jiufang Kui's murderous glare, Yun Che remained completely unfazed, speaking calmly and at his leisure.

Yun Che's strike hadn't used his full strength, yet it contained hundreds of thousands of pounds of force. Had Jiufang Yu fully resisted, he might have been able to withstand some of it. However, facing Yun Che, who was merely in the Sky Profound Realm, Jiufang Yu disdained to exert even a fraction of his own power. Yun Che's punch didn't knock him back or down; instead, at the moment of impact, its terrifyingly destructive force transformed into countless torrents of power. These easily shattered his protective profound energy, surging into every corner of his body and destroying most of his vitality.

"W-what happened? What just occurred?" Xiao Yun, like the vast majority of onlookers, was utterly bewildered.

"He actually... crippled Jiufang Yu with a single strike!" Yun Qinghong whispered. He and Mu Yurou exchanged glances, a profound shock reflected in both their eyes.

Everyone in the hall stood frozen, the various clan patriarchs aghast, and even Prince Huai's expression remained rigid for a prolonged period. He was well aware that Yun Che had, three months prior, eliminated a first-level Tyrant Emperor with a single strike. Thus, when Jiufang Yu began exhibiting arrogance, Prince Huai had a premonition that he would suffer a significant loss. However, he chose not to warn Jiufang Yu, wishing instead to confirm whether Yun Che, despite clearly being only in the Sky Profound Realm, genuinely possessed the strength reported.

The outcome profoundly shocked even someone as cunning and calculating as he was.

One strike... a mere single blow, had left Jiufang Yu, a practitioner of the fourth level of the Tyrant Profound Realm, severely wounded, paralyzed on the ground, and bleeding from all seven orifices!

Prince Huai's gaze at Yun Che abruptly changed. Everyone's perception of Yun Che completely shifted, and even now, the vast majority still found it impossible to believe what they had just witnessed.

"Yun Che, you wretched child..." The severity of Jiufang Yu's injuries completely ignited Jiufang Kui's fury. His entire body seething with rage, he glared fiercely at Yun Che. "How dare you strike my son with such vicious force!!"

"And what of it, Patriarch Jiufang? What do you intend to do?"

As the patriarch of the Jiufang Family, Jiufang Kui's fury and profound energy suppression were formidable, but in Yun Che's eyes, they amounted to nothing. He had faced such situations countless times. Slowly, he stated, "It was your son who insisted on standing still and letting me attack thirty times. I never made such a demand. In fact, I was concerned your son wouldn't be able to withstand it, so I mercifully held back my full power. I never anticipated his physique would be so frail that he would collapse from a mere light punch. Patriarch Jiufang, instead of expressing gratitude for my leniency, are you now going to accuse me?"

Jiufang Kui had already experienced Yun Che's sharp wit and formidable arguments during his previous confrontation with Prince Huai. Yun Che had faced Prince Huai without flinching, meeting him head-on, so facing Jiufang Kui was clearly no challenge.

Jiufang Yu's injuries were exceptionally severe, and a poor recovery could even lead to permanent disability. Now, being retorted by the very person who had gravely wounded his son, Jiufang Kui's facial muscles twitched with fury. He snarled, "This was merely a sparring match, yet you attacked with such viciousness... If anything happens to my son, I will absolutely take your life!"

"I was vicious?" Yun Che narrowed his eyes, a cold sneer on his face. "Just moments ago, when Jiufang Yu maliciously poisoned Su Zhizhan, what did Patriarch Jiufang say about it? Ha... If your own strength is lacking, can you truly blame others? On the battlefield, do you really expect your mortal enemy to be gentle with you!?"

"You!!" Jiufang Kui's face instantly turned a livid shade of purple.

"Jiufang Kui, your son has already lost. Why haven't you taken him away? Instead, you're glaring threateningly and posturing before a junior!" Su Xiangnan's voice, full of derision, carried across. "Your son's strength is inadequate, yet he remains arrogant and conceited. His defeat is so utterly humiliating and entirely self-inflicted. As his father, instead of disciplining him properly and feeling ashamed, do you intend to threaten and retaliate against a junior? Hmph, is the Jiufang Family just a collection of laughable weaklings who can't even bear to lose?"