Chapter 560: Never Give Up

The Dragon Slaying Sunflame Whip was not only renowned throughout Illusory Demon City but also famous across the entire Illusory Demon Realm. A Tyrant Emperor wielding this whip, activating its Dragon Slaying and Sunflame power, could effortlessly level mountains and snap refined iron. Even a strike against a mid-level Tyrant Emperor would, at the very least, leave a deep gash, or even shatter large bones and inflict near-fatal injuries.

Yet, on Yun Che's body, there was only a red mark—not even a single drop of blood could be seen on it!

Everyone who had heard the name of the "Dragon Slaying Sunflame Whip" had the exact same thought flash through their minds: *How is this possible!*

Was Yun Che's body even harder than ten-thousand-year refined iron?

Or... had Chi Yang Yanwu simply not used much power in that whip strike?

Perhaps that was the only explanation.

They would never have imagined that Yun Che’s body was not only protected by the Dragon God’s bloodline and the power of heaven and earth, but had also undergone tempering millions of times more terrifying than hell. The eighteen months spent in the Primordial Profound Ark—though a short time for a powerful profound practitioner—had subjected Yun Che's body to a tempering process incomparable to thousands of years of accumulated training for an ordinary profound practitioner. During these eighteen months, Yun Che's profound energy advanced by leaps and bounds, and his body was tempered to an almost monstrous degree. Although his current profound energy was far from the Emperor Realm, his body, even against a full-force attack from an early-stage Emperor, could not be killed—it was even uncertain if he could be severely injured.

His recovery ability was something even high-level Emperors couldn't match.

How much less a profound artifact wielded by a mid-level Tyrant Emperor.

The fact that the Dragon Slaying Sunflame Whip could leave a red mark on him slightly surprised Yun Che himself. Of course, what surprised him was entirely different from what surprised the onlookers.

"You little girl, I've been holding back against you, and you actually dared to hit me hard. If I don't get you back today, my name isn't Yun!"

Yun Che bared his teeth, then leaped into the air, proactively attacking Chi Yang Yanwu. Over a dozen Ice Lotus flowers bloomed in the sky, spinning as they flew towards her.

As the owner of the Dragon Slaying Sunflame Whip, Chi Yang Yanwu knew the power of her profound artifact best. Seeing Yun Che, who had only cried out in pain after being hit and hadn't shed a single drop of blood, a feeling of panic and unease arose in her heart for the first time. Normally, when she sparred with her father, Chi Yang Bailie, a whip strike like that would also leave a red mark on him.

Could his body really be comparable to her father's...?

Impossible! Absolutely impossible! He was only twenty-something, seemingly younger than her, while her father was an Emperor who looked down on the world. How could they be compared?!

It must have been that the previous whip strike wasn't solid because she was in a hurry... It must be!

Chi Yang Yanwu raised her head high, gripped the Dragon Slaying Sunflame Whip tightly, and flames surged around her. With a low cry, distinct crimson scales appeared on the backs of her hands and her forehead. Even her hair rapidly grew, instantly tripling in length, swirling wildly within the rising dragon flames.

The dragon aura and flame aura emanating from her more than doubled compared to before.

At the same time, the flames around her rapidly spread, covering the entire arena in just a single breath. The arena transformed into a deep purple, as if falling into a Purgatory of Violet Flames. Within this purgatory, hundreds of crimson flame dragons quickly condensed and danced wildly.

"This is the Chi Yang family's Blazing Sun Domain! Chi Yang Yanwu is beginning to use her full power!" someone exclaimed from the crowd.

"My Blazing Sun Domain has reached mastery! You... you're not even a small King, so you can't use a domain skill to counter my domain. Within this limited arena, if you leave the domain, you lose; if you stay inside, you die!" Chi Yang Yanwu sneered, shouting. As the Blazing Sun Domain took shape, all the ice lotuses Yun Che released melted before they could touch her.

Most fire-attribute domains were offensive, and the Blazing Sun Domain was no exception. The sheer high temperature within the domain was enough to melt profound iron, and the chaotically dancing flame dragons could directly drag an enemy into the abyss of death. However, not to mention that Chi Yang Yanwu was only a mid-level Tyrant Emperor, even if a high-level Emperor who could look down on the entire Illusory Demon Realm unleashed this domain, it would be impossible to harm a single hair on Yun Che's head.

Yun Che stood still, silently watching Chi Yang Yanwu waste her efforts. He extended his palm, and a blue light flashed intensely from its center.

"Ice Soul Tree!!"

At the center of the arena, which was also the heart of the Blazing Sun Domain, a thick Ice Soul Tree rapidly grew, shooting up from the ground. An extremely heavy chill quickly spread with the tree's growth. In this world of fire and high temperatures, it powerfully suppressed the heat, forcefully freezing the flames and dancing fire dragons. It even tore a large hole right in the center of the Blazing Sun Domain.

"Wh... what?!" Chi Yang Bailie, the head of the Chi Yang family, suddenly stood up. He stared blankly at the ice crystal tree in the center of the Blazing Sun Purgatory, his face full of shock. That ice crystal tree clearly emitted an aura at the Sky Profound Realm level, yet it was as profound as a mid-level Tyrant Emperor, almost on par with the profound energy aura of the Blazing Sun Domain. But despite being on par, it stood proudly within the Blazing Sun Domain.

The only explanation was that the level of this ice profound art far surpassed their Chi Yang family's Dragon Flame!

"This... this is simply incredible," Mu Yu Bai exclaimed, his eyes wide and voice trembling. "What kind of profound art is this?! Such a powerful ice profound art, I feel its level is almost on par with the Golden Crow Flame of the Demon Emperor's lineage... Why have I never heard of it before?!"

"Just where did this Yun Che come from?! He actually broke Chi Yang Yanwu's complete Blazing Sun Domain with just one profound skill!" many people exclaimed in disbelief.

Even though she was in the Blazing Sun Domain, Chi Yang Yanwu felt an bone-piercing chill. The Ice Soul Tree stood upright in the sea of fire without any signs of melting, instead slowly devouring the Blazing Sun Domain bit by bit. Her pupils repeatedly contracted. Suddenly, she gritted her teeth, let out a delicate cry, and swung the Dragon Slaying Sunflame Whip, lashing out violently at Yun Che.

Clearly, her Blazing Sun Dragon Flame was utterly defeated by Yun Che's Ice Soul Divine Art. To defeat Yun Che now, she could only rely on the Dragon Slaying Sunflame Whip in her hand.

She flicked her wrist, a slight movement that instantly conjured countless crimson whip shadows across the sky. Yun Che had just experienced the whip's power, so he naturally didn't dare let it touch him again. Injuring his body was one thing, but if it accidentally hit his face, that would be no laughing matter!

If Yun Che had his heavy sword, he could simply sweep it across to counter these myriad whip shadows, not even needing to open his eyes. But empty-handed, it was naturally not as easy. He swiftly retreated, flashing rapidly under the veil of whip shadows, leaving behind one after another afterimage. Combining Star God Broken Shadow with Phantom Light Thunder God, no matter how Chi Yang Yanwu's whip shadows covered the sky, thousands of consecutive whip strikes failed to touch a single hair on him, leaving the crowd below dumbfounded.

"This profound art and movement skill are incredibly powerful," Yun Qinghong couldn't help but sigh deeply. "Che'er's master must be an unparalleled genius."

"Indeed," Mu Yurou said, her hand still on her chest, but her face no longer showed tension, only full of pleasant surprise, joy, and pride. She knew that in this battle, Yun Che could no longer lose.

"Wrath of the Blazing Dragon!!"

Maintaining the Blazing Sun Domain while attacking with full force, Chi Yang Yanwu's cheeks were flushed, and she was panting. In contrast, Yun Che, though constantly evading, remained calm and composed, showing no signs of distress or exhaustion. Chi Yang Yanwu angrily gritted her teeth, dragon shadows flashed around her, and the countless whip shadows in the air overlapped, transforming into a ten-zhang-long enraged flame dragon that furiously slammed down on Yun Che.

Boom!!!

Flames shot dozens of feet high, and the incredibly tough profound jade floor was actually slammed into a dark, deep gash. Yun Che swiftly flashed into mid-air, evading the strike. But then, he felt the surrounding Blazing Sun Domain suddenly become chaotic. He looked up to see the entire Blazing Sun Domain collapsing completely in an instant, and all the violet flames and flame dragons within it surged madly towards him.

"Che'er, be careful!" Mu Yurou's body tensed, and she let out a nervous cry.

This woman actually used a dirty trick... Yun Che coldly scoffed with disdain, opening his arms. Blue light flashed around him, and the ten-zhang area around his body instantly transformed into an ice-blue world of ice. All violet flames and flame dragons were quickly frozen as soon as they approached, not a single wisp of flame able to touch his body.

And just as he was maintaining the Ice Soul Divine Art, the Dragon Slaying Sunflame Whip suddenly shot out from a corner of the surrounding sea of fire, instantly covering a distance of ten zhang. Its tip, like a venomous snake flicking its tongue, jabbed directly at Yun Che's right eye.

Yun Che had already experienced the sudden extension of the Dragon Slaying Sunflame Whip and was prepared for it. But when he noticed the attack point of this whip, his brow furrowed, and anger flared in his heart.

He had thought this woman was merely arrogant and overbearing... but he hadn't expected her heart to be so malicious!

This time, Yun Che didn't dodge. His palm shot out like lightning, directly grabbing at the incoming Dragon Slaying Sunflame Whip. Seeing Yun Che's action, Chi Yang Yanwu was startled, then sneered: "You're asking for death!"

*Crack!!*

With a resounding crack, the Dragon Slaying Sunflame Whip lashed Yun Che's palm. Then, to everyone's horror, he simply caught it in his hand. The next instant, violet flames suddenly ignited on the Dragon Slaying Sunflame Whip and instantly spread across Yun Che's entire arm. Before Chi Yang Yanwu could even let out a triumphant laugh, the violet flames on Yun Che's arm suddenly extinguished again. No matter how much profound energy she poured into it, they could not reignite.

Yun Che grabbed the tip of the Dragon Slaying Sunflame Whip, twisting and pulling with force. His strength was immense, far beyond what Chi Yang Yanwu could resist. Moreover, her profound energy was already heavily depleted. Under an irresistible force, her Dragon Slaying Sunflame Whip instantly slipped from her grasp, arced in a crimson circle through the air, and was caught in Yun Che's hand. He then immediately whipped it downwards.

"You!!"

Deprived of her weapon, Chi Yang Yanwu's mind immediately fell into chaos. As the Dragon Slaying Sunflame Whip flew towards her through the air, she shrieked and desperately tried to dodge backward. The whip swung through empty space. But before she could react, a chill suddenly enveloped her from her feet, freezing her entire body. Then another Ice Soul Tree rapidly grew, its spreading ice crystal branches and leaves firmly locking her in place.

The whip in Yun Che's hand also swung out again at that moment, piercing through layers of ice crystal branches and leaves with incredible precision, and ferociously lashed her buttock, tightly encased in fiery red leather pants, emitting a crisp *smack*.

"Ah!!"

"That whip was to teach you a lesson for hitting me earlier!" Yun Che retrieved the whip and said viciously.

The crisp sound of the whip echoed throughout the great hall, accompanied by Chi Yang Yanwu's miserable shriek. The noisy hall instantly fell silent. Everyone was utterly stunned, especially the young elites of Demon Emperor City, whose eyes nearly popped out of their sockets.

Chi Yang Yanwu, who never paid attention to any man, the proudest Blazing Sun Princess in all of Demon Emperor City, was actually... whipped on the butt in this Demon Emperor Hall, in front of everyone!

And the whip made such a resounding *smack*!

Of course, Yun Che didn't use much force with that whip, so it only broke open her profound energy defense, causing her some superficial pain, but it didn't even tear her pants. Chi Yang Yanwu felt a stinging pain, but even ten times that pain wouldn't compare to a fraction of the humiliation in her heart. From childhood, Chi Yang Yanwu had been doted upon by her entire family and looked up to by all men and women. Wherever she went, she was a proud peacock, receiving gazes of self-abasement and admiration from countless men... But today, she was actually whipped on the butt by a man, with her own whip, in public.

"Yun Che, you bastar..."

Before Chi Yang Yanwu could finish her shout, Yun Che's whip swung again, *smacking* her on the other buttock.

"This whip is to teach you a lesson for maliciously trying to blind me earlier!" Yun Che raised his hand, casually retracting the whip. Although the whip's spirit made it restless in his hand, using it... seemed quite handy.

"Yun Che... I'll fight you to the death!!"

Such utter humiliation drove Chi Yang Yanwu to a furious frenzy, and her body, trapped within the Ice Soul Tree, struggled violently. However, the dragon flames on her body barely ignited before instantly extinguishing again, while the Ice Soul Tree's branches and leaves continued to spread rapidly, becoming even denser, making it impossible for her to break free by even an inch, no matter how much she struggled.

Yun Che twirled the whip in his hand, looking at her askance: "You can surrender now."

"You... if you have the guts, kill me! I'd rather die... than surrender to a scoundrel like you!!" Chi Yang Yanwu's face was crimson, her chest nearly bursting with rage. She continued to struggle desperately, her eyes fixed on Yun Che, as if she wished to burn him to ashes with her gaze.

"Oh, very good! I really admire your spirit," Yun Che nodded with a smile. "Since you've said so, then later... you absolutely mustn't surrender, okay?"

With a faint chuckle, Yun Che unhurriedly raised the whip and, with another *smack*, lashed Chi Yang Yanwu's buttock. This whip strike directly tore a medium-length rip in her short leather pants.

"Yun Che... I'll tear you into ten thousand pieces one day!!" Chi Yang Yanwu roared hoarsely, like an enraged female leopard.

Yun Che ignored her, chuckling as he whipped her again: "Don't surrender... you absolutely mustn't surrender, okay?"

*Smack!*

This whip strike finally drew a tear from Chi Yang Yanwu. She clearly felt that her tightly fitting pants had ripped open.

"Whether you can tear me into ten thousand pieces someday, I don't know," Yun Che said, toying with the whip with a smile. "But what I can be sure of is that a few more lashes like these, and your clothes will be completely ruined. At that point, everyone will clearly be able to enjoy the 'spring scenery' of Princess Chi Yang... Tell me, how grateful will they be to me? Oh, right, you did say you definitely wouldn't surrender, so you absolutely mustn't surrender, okay?"

After speaking, Yun Che flicked his wrist, and another whip strike came down with a crisp *smack*, tearing a slit in the other side of her leather pants.

"You... you... I'll kill you... I must kill you!!" No matter how stubborn or arrogant Chi Yang Yanwu was, her voice now clearly carried a sob. Her gaze at Yun Che was seven parts anger, two parts killing intent... and one part clear pleading.

"Enough!!"

A low voice, tinged with anger, resounded. Instantly, a fiery red figure shot up from the Chi Yang family's seats and arrived beside Chi Yang Yanwu in a flash. This person, also dressed in red with fiery red hair, was none other than Chi Yang Bailie, the head of the Chi Yang family and Chi Yang Yanwu's father.

With his daughter being publicly humiliated and disciplined in such a manner, even if his composure was ten times stronger, he simply could no longer endure it. Chi Yang Bailie waved his palm, and the Ice Soul Tree that was trapping Chi Yang Yanwu instantly vaporized and vanished. Chi Yang Yanwu, her entire body stiff from the cold, collapsed onto Chi Yang Bailie. Her nose stung, and for a moment, all her anger, humiliation, and grievances finally found an outlet: "Father! Kill him for me... I want to tear him into ten thousand pieces, I want to... I want to..."

"Shut up!" Chi Yang Bailie roared angrily. "Aren't you embarrassed enough?!"

"Ugh..." Chi Yang Yanwu was rarely scolded by Chi Yang Bailie. She also knew that she had disgraced her family today, so her eyes immediately reddened, and she dared not utter another sound. When she looked at Yun Che, her gaze was still murderous... All the pride she had accumulated since childhood was completely lost today, all because of Yun Che.

Chi Yang Bailie's expression was extremely grim. However, Chi Yang Yanwu's defeat to Yun Che was due to her inferior skill, and in front of everyone, he couldn't act out. He turned to Yun Che, his face stern, and extended his palm: "Give it."

Even a fool would know that Chi Yang Bailie wanted the Dragon Slaying Sunflame Whip that Yun Che had snatched from Chi Yang Yanwu. But Yun Che feigned a confused expression: "Give what? Give what?"