Chapter 570: Victory

Crack... crack... In the vast Demon Imperial Hall, among the hundred thousand strong cultivators from all corners of the land, there was not a single sound, save for the faint tinkling of shattered jade falling from the walls. Not even a whisper of breath could be heard. Everyone in the Demon Imperial Hall had risen to their feet, eyes wide and mouths agape, their jaws seemingly on the verge of hitting the floor.

Even the Little Demon Empress had risen from her throne, her gaze fixed in stunned disbelief on Hui Ran, who was embedded in the wall.

Prince Huai, who stood closest to the arena, right on its edge, his mind focused and power gathered, ready to prevent Yun Qinghong from suddenly intervening to save Yun Che, now had bulging eyes. His lips, eyebrows, and jaw twitched convulsively. This was a man whose cunning and resolve were extraordinary—someone who could make the Little Demon Empress hesitate, and persuade over sixty percent of the Guardian Families and princely estates to abandon the Demon Emperor lineage and side with him. Yet, at this moment, his mind was utterly thrown into chaos, his face distorted in disbelief.

This was a match of extremely disparate strength—more uneven than any previous bout. Hui Ran's power far surpassed Yun Che's, and Yun Che was already exhausted after five consecutive battles. Everyone's primary concern wasn't the outcome of the match, but whether Yun Che would ultimately survive.

The exchange between the two lasted only an instant—a moment so brief that no one had time to react. One person was violently blasted away, sent flying directly out of the arena and crashing into the eastern wall of the Demon Imperial Hall.

According to the rules, being thrown out of the arena signified the end of the match! Yet, the one instantly blasted away was not Yun Che, but Hui Ran—a terrifyingly powerful individual who could utterly crush Yun Che, and whom no one had even considered capable of losing!

The scene they witnessed was akin to a dying blade of grass suddenly toppling a millennia-old ancient tree—a mental shock as if heaven and earth had been abruptly overturned.

"Big Brother... won..." Xiao Yun murmured in a daze, then erupted into an uncontrolled roar: "Big Brother won... Big Brother won!! Our Yun Family won!"

Xiao Yun's excited shouts jolted everyone out of their shock. Instantly, countless exclamations converged into a thunderous, earth-shattering wave of sound.

"Yun Che won... It's really... Yun Che who won!!"

"This... this is simply the most incredible thing I've ever witnessed in my life!"

"Hui Ran lost... with just one move! Ahhh... I can't believe my eyes, am I still dreaming?!"

"This is impossible... impossible! Can anyone tell me what happened? This simply cannot be real!"

"Hui Ran was Prince Huai's last combatant. Yun Che won... which means the final outcome is a victory for the Yun Family!!"

"Father, Hui Ran lost, Yun Che won... We... actually... we won!" Su Zhizhan spoke haltingly, his voice faint, like a mumble in a dream.

"Indeed... ah." Su Xiangnan nodded slowly, his voice trembling heavily. "I believe no one could have predicted this outcome. This Yun Che... just who is he?"

The renowned Head of the Su Family actually used "just who is he?" to describe Yun Che, yet at that moment, no one from the Su Family found it an exaggeration or inappropriate.

"Unbelievable... simply unbelievable... truly astonishing." Mu Feiyan repeated "unbelievable" three times. The centuries-old Mu Family Head's eyes, voice, and expression were now entirely filled with awe. Just moments ago, he had secretly lamented Yun Che's youthful impetuousness and lack of discretion, but now he realized Yun Che had been completely confident. After reaching a hundred years of age, he had rarely misjudged anyone, yet with Yun Che, he had miscalculated time and again.

Mu Yubai opened his mouth, muttering, "Where in the world did this little monster come from...?"

He had always been very keen on the idea of becoming sworn brothers with Yun Che, but now he felt a strange sense of apprehension. Initially, he had been willing to lower his status and eagerly propose brotherhood with Yun Che, partly out of gratitude and partly, of course, because of Yun Che's unparalleled medical skills that had healed Yun Qinghong and Mu Yurou. Having such a brother would not just mean a few extra lives; it would benefit the entire Mu Family.

His previous determination, even bordering on assertiveness, stemmed from his position as the Young Master of the Mu Family, soon to be its true head, believing his status and strength were undoubtedly fitting. But now, witnessing Yun Che's astonishing power, his temperament, his courage, and his world-renowned medical skills—and Yun Che, possessing all of this, was only twenty-two years old!

Yun Che effortlessly surpassed his own capabilities at the same age by an immeasurable margin.

To be like this at twenty-two, his future achievements were simply unimaginable.

Anyone present today who had witnessed everything would likely not doubt that he would become the foremost figure in the Illusory Demon Realm.

Therefore, the dignified Young Master of the Mu Family, overshadowed by Yun Che's blinding brilliance, now felt thoroughly intimidated even by the prospect of humbly lowering his status to seek sworn brotherhood.

"Such a figure has actually appeared in our Illusory Demon Realm," commented Tian Xia Xiongtu, sighing in astonishment. "It's a pity he is Yun Qinghong's adopted son; if he were his biological son, why would the Yun Family ever worry about their future prosperity? Firstly, I thought you were exaggerating, but I never imagined he would be far more astonishing than you described. This young man's future achievements are bound to shake the heavens and earth, and he is also a benefactor to our Tian Xia clan... In the future, you must cultivate a strong relationship with him."

The Tian Xia brothers nodded in agreement, their eyes still filled with deep shock and disbelief.

Yun Qinghong stood ramrod straight. Behind him, the Yun Family elders, already overcome with excitement, disregarded their image, shouting themselves hoarse along with the younger disciples. He did not shout or rush into the arena. He watched Yun Che, his tiger-like eyes glistening with unshed tears. He knew, and everyone else knew, that this outcome was not merely an incredible miracle; it had single-handedly redeemed the Yun Family's fate, along with the morale and dignity of all Guardian Families and princely estates loyal to the Little Demon Empress, and even the Demon Emperor lineage itself!

It also delivered a crushing blow to Prince Huai's faction, who had been basking in their triumph.

"Che'er, your father is proud of you!" Yun Qinghong smiled. He didn't even spare Prince Huai a glance, knowing without a doubt that the prince's face must be utterly grim.

Prince Huai's face was not merely grim; it was so contorted that his features were almost indistinguishable. Prince Zhong, and the various heads of princely estates and families from the eastern seats, also had faces as dark as thunderclouds. They exchanged glances, but not a single person could utter a word.

"Ahhh! Bang!!" With a bestial roar, the eastern wall of the hall exploded. Hui Ran burst out, his hair disheveled and face covered in blood, then rushed directly at Yun Che, his eyes bloodshot: "Bastard... I'll kill you!!"

Though Hui Ran appeared utterly disheveled, his aura remained incredibly formidable. After taking two of Yun Che's sword strikes while under the influence of the Dragon Soul Domain, not only did his profound energy not dissipate, but he also seemed to have sustained no serious external injuries. Yun Che's heart slightly tensed; Hui Ran's strength was indeed extraordinary.

A storm of profound energy, charged with furious rage, surged forward. Yun Waitian, the Grand Elder of the Yun Family, soared into the air, instantly shielding Yun Che, and roared: "Hui Ran, what are you doing?!"

At this point, the entire Yun Family regarded Yun Che as an invaluable treasure; they would never allow him to suffer even the slightest harm.

No matter how strong Hui Ran was, he was certainly no match for Yun Waitian. Under Yun Waitian's imposing aura, he was immediately forced back. Hui Ran's rage intensified as he roared: "This scoundrel tricked me! With my power, how could I possibly lose to such trash... Yun Che, do you dare to fight me fairly?!"

Yun Duanshui, the Second Elder of the Yun Family, also flew to shield Yun Che, and sneered at Hui Ran: "Hui Ran, you lost, and that's that. Everyone here who isn't blind saw it clearly. You are, after all, a Prince of a Commandery. Can't you accept defeat? Hmph, aren't you afraid of dragging your entire Prince Huai's estate down to be ridiculed by the world?"

"Shut up!" Hui Ran pointed at Yun Che, his entire body trembling. This arrogant man had never known defeat in his life, but today, he had been publicly blasted out of the arena by someone far weaker than himself, and who was even exhausted of profound energy. He had never endured such humiliation in his life. "How could I possibly lose?! It was clearly that..."

"Enough!" Prince Huai's face was ashen. He sternly rebuked Hui Ran in a deep voice: "Are you trying to utterly disgrace our princely estate?! Step back now!"

"Father..." Prince Hui Ran's face twitched, the stares of the entire hall piercing him like daggers. Unwillingly, he clenched his fists, gave Yun Che a venomous glare, gritted his teeth, turned around, and walked out of the arena. As soon as he returned to his seat, a large mouthful of blood spurted out. Yun Che's heavy sword was not something to be taken lightly.

"Excellent!" The Little Demon Empress slowly descended. An extremely rare look of relief appeared on her seemingly perpetually cold face. "What an utterly spectacular match! Yun Che, despite being only at the Sky Profound Realm, single-handedly fought six consecutive battles and defeated the six great geniuses of my Demon Imperial City. You have truly opened my eyes and left me in awe!"

"As agreed before the match, if the Yun Family lost, they would forfeit their status as a Guardian Family. The Yun Family was on the brink of despair, but Yun Che, by himself, turned the tide and achieved victory. It seems even Heaven's will is on the Yun Family's side!"

The Little Demon Empress's gaze swept across the eastern seats, finally settling on Prince Huai. "Prince Huai, do you have anything to say about this result?"

Before Prince Huai could speak, Yun Che declared loudly: "Before Prince Huai says anything, allow me to remind him... Your Highness must not forget the stakes we agreed upon before the match! If you won, my Yun Family would cease to be a Guardian Family. And since *we* won... Heh! You can all now shut up about the Yun Family's affairs. Furthermore... the Helian, Chiyang, Jiufang, Nangong, Bai, Xiao, and Lin families must each deliver five kilograms of Purple Vein Divine Crystals to our Yun Family within one month! And you, Prince Huai, must deliver twenty kilograms of Purple Vein Divine Crystals to our Yun Family within one month!"

Yun Che's lips curved into a smirk: "This point was witnessed by the Little Demon Empress and all the heroes of the realm, and you, Prince Huai, along with these seven families, readily agreed... Prince Huai, I trust that as a dignified Prince of a Commandery, you wouldn't go back on your word in front of everyone, would you?"

The moment Yun Che spoke, the faces of the seven families opposite them turned ashen. Five kilograms of Purple Vein Divine Crystals, even for Guardian Families at the pinnacle of the Illusory Demon Realm, were life-vein crystals that took a century to accumulate. They had agreed with Prince Huai earlier, with everyone as a witness, because they were absolutely certain that they could not possibly lose, and this "stake" was merely a formality.

Now, however, they had lost. If they truly had to hand over five kilograms of Purple Vein Divine Crystals, it would be tantamount to sacrificing a century of their family's foundation. Meanwhile, the Yun Family, having gathered tens of kilograms of Purple Vein Divine Crystals, would find it incredibly difficult *not* to rise to prominence. They absolutely could not accept this... Yet, this was the Grand Ceremony of the Demon Empress, where a hundred thousand Illusory Demon heroes had gathered, serving as the realm's most solid witnesses. To renege on their word would be to strip themselves naked in front of everyone, sacrificing their family's prestige and reputation, inviting scorn and contempt from all.

But at this moment, Prince Huai suddenly seemed unfazed, even smiling faintly. "Of course, I haven't forgotten. I was the one who proposed this match, and whether we win or lose, I will naturally accept the outcome with equanimity. I would never be a sore loser, nor would I go back on my word and bring shame upon my Prince Huai's estate. I believe the various Guardian Families feel the same."

"However, it seems you have completely misunderstood one thing," Prince Huai said unhurriedly, his eyes narrowing slightly. "This match concerns the fate of the Yun Family. Those qualified to represent either side must be under thirty-five years of age, and their identity must be from a Guardian Family or the Illusory Demon Royal Family."

As Prince Huai spoke, the expressions of those in the eastern seats drastically changed, and their eyes suddenly lit up. Prince Huai smiled faintly and said, "Yun Qinghong, if I'm not mistaken, this Yun Che is merely an adopted son you took in from who knows where? If he's just an adopted son, that means he has no Yun Family bloodline whatsoever... And if he has no Yun Family bloodline, what right does he have to represent the Yun Family in this match?"