Chapter 557: Showing off one’s skill before an expert

"You... just wait!" His injuries were too severe for Jiu Fangyu to delay any longer. He glared fiercely at Yun Che and Su Xiangnan, then helped Jiu Fangyu leave the arena. He was inwardly shocked that Yun Che could severely injure Jiu Fangyu with a single blow, and he also knew perfectly well that Yun Che had intentionally struck with such force. In any other setting, he would have personally crippled Yun Che, regardless of his status... but with the Little Demon Empress by their side and under the gaze of the world's most powerful figures, he had no choice but to hold back.

A strange atmosphere still permeated the entire hall. Everyone who had previously mocked, laughed, scorned, jeered, or scoffed now looked at Yun Che with completely changed eyes.

Su Zhizhan's gaze was also one of astonishment, so shocked that he forgot the pain of his injuries. He mumbled to himself, dazed, "What... what just happened...?"

"It seems we completely misjudged Yun Che." Su Xiangnan's gaze shifted strangely. "Jiu Fangyu was overconfident and completely unprepared, but even so, to be able to severely injure him with one blow... Zhizhan, his strength might very well be on par with yours!"

Su Zhizhan: "...Could he be using some kind of treasure to hide his profound strength level?"

"No!" Su Xiangnan shook his head decisively. "While profound energy can indeed be concealed or suppressed with a treasure when not in use, it's impossible to hide it once it's unleashed. His profound energy aura during that attack on Jiu Fangyu was unmistakably at the peak of the Sky Profound Realm!"

The elders who had previously been bewildered and confused by Yun Qinghong's decision to let Yun Che participate were now speechless. The younger generation of disciples widened their eyes in shock, unable to utter a word. They finally began to understand why Yun Qinghong had chosen Yun Che to represent the Yun family.

"What's going on with this kid's strength?" Helian Ba muttered bitterly, clutching his chest. He had intended to enjoy watching Jiu Fangyu savagely brutalize Su Zhizhan as a means of vengeance, but Yun Che had foiled it with a mysterious pill. Despite his seemingly pathetic strength, he had defeated Jiu Fangyu with a single strike...

"Hmph, Jiu Fangyu was merely overconfident and lacked any defensive profound energy, which is why he suffered such a severe injury from a single blow. This kid's strength is indeed somewhat unusual, but if Jiu Fangyu had taken him seriously and fought with his full power, Yun Che would have been no match for him," Helian Peng said with a gloomy gaze.

"I thought this duel was already over. I didn't expect you to defeat Jiu Fangyu; you've certainly given me a surprise," Prince Huai said, looking at Yun Che with a faint smile. "Profound energy at the Sky Profound Realm, yet strength potentially comparable to a mid-stage Tyrant Profound Emperor. Such an exaggerated leap in power levels is truly unheard of, so it's no wonder the Yun family head adopted you."

"A surprise?" Yun Che chuckled. "I'm afraid that when the time comes, this surprise... will turn into a fright."

"Hahahahaha!" Prince Huai burst out laughing. "There's nothing in this world that can truly frighten this king."

"Heh..." Yun Che's lips slowly curled into a smirk. "Prince Huai, you shouldn't speak too soon, because what might truly frighten you could suddenly appear... If I'm not mistaken, there are still five people on your side who haven't fought yet. Who's next?!"

The word "arrogance" was clearly etched on Yun Che's face, and remarkably, his arrogance was directed at the formidable Prince Huai himself. Prince Huai smiled, a very meaningful smile. "Exceptional young talents often come with arrogance; I understand that perfectly. It seems that defeating Young Master Jiu Fang in a single encounter has significantly boosted your confidence. Do you truly believe that if Jiu Fangyu hadn't underestimated you due to your profound energy level, he would have been defeated so easily?"

Yun Che's expression remained unchanged, clearly showing he couldn't be bothered to argue. He turned directly to the western seats and, without rushing, asked, "Who's next from your side?!"

Yun Che's challenge was met with no reaction from the western seats. Xiao Donglai, Chi Yang Yanwu, Huiye, Yuanque, and Huiran—the five formidable powerhouses from the western side who had yet to compete—remained completely still. Huiye, Yuanque, and Huiran, in particular, merely cast a dismissive glance at Yun Che, clearly not taking him seriously... even after his single blow had crippled Jiu Fangyu.

Yun Che smiled. "Prince Huai, it seems your side is a bunch of cowards. If that's the case, why don't you just concede defeat? Our Yun family is quite covetous of those dozens of catties of purple-veined divine crystals, you know."

As soon as Yun Che spoke, many in the hall burst into laughter. Even a fool could clearly see that none of the remaining five were willing to face Yun Che. Huiye, Yuanque, and Huiran, the top three of the renowned Seven Fantasy Demon Children, would never deign to fight Yun Che. As for Xiao Donglai and Chi Yang Yanwu, if they were to face Yun Che and win, defeating a Sky Profound Realm opponent would bring them no honor. But if they ended up in a stalemate, or even lost... that would make them the laughingstock of the entire Demon Imperial City.

The fact that Yun Che had crippled Jiu Fangyu with a single move when the latter was overconfident suggested that a similar outcome was not impossible.

Facing five formidable powerhouses, including the transcendent top three of the Seven Fantasy Demon Children, Yun Che was the only one left on the eastern side, yet he brazenly demanded their surrender... Even some highly respected elders nearly burst out laughing.

From the Xiao family's section, a figure abruptly stood up, pointed at Yun Che, and sneered, "Yun Che, do you realize how much you resemble a clown right now? Heh, did defeating Jiu Fangyu suddenly make you feel invincible, as if you can look down on everyone? How laughable. Do you truly believe you defeated Jiu Fangyu with your own strength? Jiu Fangyu's defeat was entirely his own fault. If he had been even slightly serious and casually made a move, it's questionable whether you'd still be alive. He wasn't defeated by you at all; he was defeated by himself."

The person who stood up was Xiao Donglai, the young master of the Xiao family. As his voice trailed off, a strong gust of wind erupted, and just as it began, a phantom figure suddenly shot forward, appearing before Yun Che with such incredible speed that many in the hall gasped aloud.

"Xiao Donglai of the Xiao family!" Xiao Donglai extended his palm towards Yun Che, a faint green profound light swirling in its center. "Among the twelve of us, my strength is arguably the weakest, but to defeat an arrogant brat like you, two fingers are more than enough."

Yun Che cast a sidelong glance at him and said listlessly, "You talk too much."

Xiao Donglai's eyes narrowed, and he sneered, "Go on, take out your weapon. Watch as I shatter both it and your illusions!"

"No need," Yun Che said disdainfully, crossing his arms. "You seem even weaker than Jiu Fangyu was. If he wasn't worth me using a weapon, then for you... heh heh, there's certainly no need."

"You!" Everyone had witnessed Yun Che's arrogance when he faced Prince Huai, knowing him to be an utterly lawless and conceited individual. But now, confronting him directly, Xiao Donglai still felt his lungs about to burst from rage, his voice trembling slightly. "Fine... very fine! You've brought this upon yourself!"

Whoosh!! A crane-like whistling wind echoed through every corner of the hall. The entire arena instantly became engulfed in strong winds. A faint emerald profound light flickered around Xiao Donglai's body, and a ethereal image of a Pegasus shimmered behind him. At that moment, Prince Huai's profound energy transmission whispered in his ear: "Fight with full power; do not underestimate him!"

Xiao Donglai's breath hitched slightly, and the profound light around him instantly surged, creating a nearly tangible vortex of violent wind around his body. Facing Yun Che, who had not even drawn a weapon, Xiao Donglai naturally wouldn't use his either. He aimed his palm at Yun Che and said disdainfully, "Come, let me see how long you can struggle in my Heavenly Gang Storm!"

At that moment, Yun Qinghong's voice also reached Yun Che's ear: "The Xiao family belongs to the Pegasus clan. While their wind profound energy isn't exceptionally potent for offense, it grants them the greatest speed among the twelve families! Their displacement, instant movement, and afterimage techniques are truly unfathomable. Be careful!"

Hiss!! Just as Yun Qinghong finished his transmission, a violent whistling wind erupted fiercely in his ears. Xiao Donglai, who had been in front of him, vanished... replaced by more than a dozen afterimages, appearing half-real and half-illusory! Around each afterimage, wind vortices swirled, powerful enough to grind boulders into dust.

"Whoa... what kind of move is that?!" "That's the Xiao family's Heavenly Gang Afterimages! The Xiao family's movement profound skills are truly unparalleled. When it comes to pure speed and agility, arguably no force in the entire Illusory Demon Realm can compare to them." "Xiao Donglai started with Heavenly Gang Afterimages. Is he planning to defeat Yun Che instantly?" "A dozen or so afterimages... all exactly alike... how do you even counter that?!"

Yun Che stood rooted to the spot, completely motionless, as if frozen in fear. A dozen or so wind vortices rapidly approached. When they were less than ten feet away from Yun Che, the afterimage on the far right suddenly accelerated, swirling towards Yun Che like a bolt of lightning...

Rip!! The air was violently torn, and an afterimage was ripped apart... but Xiao Donglai had only torn through air and an illusion. After a momentary gasp, he swiftly executed an instant shift, his heart simultaneously clenching. His Xiao family was the foremost master of afterimage techniques in the entire Illusory Demon Realm, yet his initial afterimage attack, which had stunned the entire audience... had inexplicably struck the opponent's afterimage!

This was an utter humiliation.

As he turned, Yun Che was already charging towards him. Mid-charge, Yun Che's figure suddenly flickered, and Xiao Donglai's vision blurred, seeing four Yun Ches, each rushing at him from the front, above, left, and right. His eyes darkened, and he sneered inwardly, *I was unprepared when you fooled me with an afterimage just now, but you dare to use afterimages in front of our Xiao family... You're seeking death!*

As the Xiao family specialized in movement techniques, they were naturally exceptionally skilled at countering various movement profound arts, especially afterimage techniques. The entire arena was filled with surging winds, and with the aid of his wind profound energy, he could easily distinguish true bodies from illusions. But the very next instant, Xiao Donglai's pupils dilated in shock, because according to the feedback from his wind profound energy... All four Yun Ches were actual bodies! "This... how is this possible!"

Xiao Donglai was momentarily flustered and dared not rashly defend himself. Instead, he retreated at an incredibly high speed. When it came to speed, he had always been confident that no one in the younger generation could match him. Yet, as he rapidly retreated, he was startled to find Yun Che's figure getting closer and closer. After the other three illusory figures vanished, Yun Che's true body was less than three feet away...

The Xiao family's speed and movement profound arts were indeed unparalleled in the Illusory Demon Realm. However, when it came to instant movement and afterimages, what could possibly compare to the Star God Broken Shadow? And as for pure speed, what could rival the Phantom Light Thunder Extreme? The Xiao family's greatest advantage, in front of Yun Che, was like displaying one's meager skill before a master.

As Yun Che drew closer, Xiao Donglai's eyes bulged, as if he had seen a ghost in broad daylight. Fortunately, his reaction was quick. His profound energy surged through his body, and he violently thrust his hands forward, sending two massive wind vortices, like titanic dragons twisting through the air, roaring towards Yun Che.

Yun Che's palms pushed out almost simultaneously, his entire body shimmering with a dreamy ice-blue profound light. As his profound energy rose to the Sky Profound Realm, the Ice Effulgence Divine Arts, previously constrained by his cultivation level, automatically broke through. It advanced to the "Ice Effulgence Profound Seal" realm, placing him just half a step away from the sixth stage, "Ice Effulgence Heart Seal."

Crackle, crackle, crackle... The furiously swirling winds touched the Ice Effulgence's radiance, instantly producing crisp, ear-splitting sounds of ice solidifying. After a single breath, the faint green wind vortices turned pale blue. Two breaths later, the wind vortices were completely frozen, utterly still, transformed into two tornado-shaped ice sculptures.

Within the great hall, pairs of eyes either widened or bulged, as if they had witnessed the most incredible sight in the world.

"This kid actually cultivates ice profound arts... But what... what kind of profound art is this, that it can even seal wind profound energy?! This... this..." Mu Yubai had already risen to his feet, rendered incoherent by shock. The Mu family's inherited profound art was an ice-based one, passed down for ten millennia. As the young master of the Mu family, he was naturally an expert in ice profound energy, capable of freezing all things in heaven and earth when cultivated to its extreme. Yet, this was the first time he had ever witnessed someone freeze another's unleashed profound energy! Had he seen Xia Qingyue use the Ice Effulgence Divine Arts to freeze even phoenix flames that day, he surely would have been utterly dumbfounded.