Chapter 70: A Shocking Battle in the City (Part Six)

"Wh-what?!"

Seeing the terrifying Cloud Sun Chain break so easily in Yun Che's hands, everyone was astonished. Yan Ming's eyes widened in disbelief.

"How... how is this possible? This is one of the Cloud Sun Sect's peerless techniques! It's a chain of fire formed by profound energy, its temperature is higher than real flames, and it has powerful corrosive properties. How could it break with a mere touch from Yun Che's hand!" exclaimed an elder from New Moon Profound Palace.

The Cloud Sun Sect was even more shocked. Chief Elder Yan Zizai suddenly stood up, almost thinking there was something wrong with his eyes. A disciple beside him quickly said, "Elder, there's no need to panic. Junior Brother Yan Ming is only at the third level of the Elementary Profound Realm, so he's still somewhat strained in controlling the Cloud Sun Chain. That's why his profound energy couldn't sustain it, and it broke."

"Hmph! He's showing off when his profound energy isn't sufficient; it's utterly laughable!" Yan Zizai snorted. This was the only explanation he could conceive for the current situation. No matter what, he couldn't believe that Yun Che, who was only at the first level of the Elementary Profound Realm, could break the Cloud Sun Chain with his bare hands and remain completely unharmed.

Yun Che clapped his hands and said with a chuckle, "Brother Yan Ming, you're quite the juggler. Tsk tsk, with that skill, it'd be a waste if you didn't perform on the streets."

"This... this is impossible!" Yan Ming was horrified inwardly. Others might not have realized it, but he knew very well that the Cloud Sun Chain he just released and controlled was quite successful. Upon contact with Yun Che's hand, it should have been more than enough to scorch his palm. There was no way it should have suddenly broken.

Yun Che's mockery infuriated Yan Ming. With a dark expression, he said, "Don't get cocky! Just now, I was merely testing you. I'll show you the Cloud Sun Sect's true Cloud Sun Chain right now!"

He spoke defiantly, but his previous "failure" had somewhat diminished his confidence. He no longer dared to use the Cloud Sun Chain with both hands simultaneously. Instead, with a low shout, he swept his right palm forward, and a thick chain of fire shot out, coiling towards Yun Che like a dancing fiery snake.

This time, Yun Che didn't even move. The Cloud Sun Chain rapidly approached and instantly wrapped around him... Yan Ming's heart immediately filled with delight. Just as he was about to detonate the fiery profound energy, he suddenly saw the Cloud Sun Chain, which had coiled around Yun Che's body, shatter into several pieces with a single, incredibly casual struggle from Yun Che, like a rotted hemp rope, and then completely extinguish.

Yun Che was now truly angry. He patted his clothes where they had been touched by the Cloud Sun Chain and said indignantly, "We're here to spar, yet you're performing a circus act for me! You're simply wasting everyone's time! It's time for you to get off the stage!"

With a low growl, Yun Che executed Star God's Broken Shadow, instantly appearing to Yan Ming's right, and launched a profound energy-infused punch directly at his face. Yan Ming, already startled and disoriented by the Cloud Sun Chain breaking a second time, was slow to react by half a beat. He had no time to parry and could only rapidly retreat, but he was still solidly struck in the chest by Yun Che's fist.

Yan Ming's protective profound energy rippled violently. Although Yun Che's profound energy was two levels below his, taking a direct heavy blow in haste was still incredibly unpleasant. His heart filled with shame and rage, he roared "Burning Flame Fist," his fists igniting with fire, and he lunged at Yun Che.

Yun Che slightly sidestepped, dodging Yan Ming's flaming hands. Then, he abruptly raised his right hand and pressed it onto Yan Ming's outstretched right arm, a faint cold smile playing on his lips...

"Ahhhhhh!!!!!"

A pig-like scream echoed through the hall. Yan Ming, who had just unleashed the Burning Flame Fist, collapsed to his knees amidst the shriek, frantically shaking both hands. The flames on his hands had vanished, but tendrils of black smoke were rising from his fingers, and a pungent, burnt smell gradually spread through the hall.

Yan Zizai was greatly alarmed. He flashed forward to Yan Ming, swiftly grasping his hands like lightning, and quickly drew out the profound fire energy that had seeped into them.

The pain on Yan Ming's face finally lessened, but a good portion of his hands was now charred black, his fingers grotesquely splayed and twisted to a horrifying degree. Wisps of black smoke still slowly emanated from his burned flesh.

"You actually let the profound fire energy backlash against yourself! Have you been practicing your cultivation on dogs for the past few years?!!" Yan Zizai roared furiously, his face dark, not caring about the present circumstances. As a disciple whose talent ranked among the top five of the Cloud Sun Sect's younger generation, first, the Cloud Sun Chain broke twice, and then he publicly made such a laughably amateur mistake. It was a complete disgrace to the Cloud Sun Sect.

Fire-attribute profound arts allow profound practitioners to condense fire with profound energy. However, this absolutely does not mean they are immune to fire. Just as when Yan Ming condensed fire with his hand earlier, there was a layer of profound energy separating his hand from the flame to protect himself.

The embarrassing state Yan Ming was in after performing the Burning Flame Fist was clearly due to his rushed execution, failing to properly control the profound fire energy. The profound energy he condensed didn't fully release; part of it formed the flames on his hand, while another part directly erupted within his palm, causing him to burn himself! Such a mistake usually only occurs in the first six months of cultivating fire-attribute profound arts, and during that period, the fire power is weak, so even a mistake wouldn't cause much damage. After some time, controlling fire with profound energy becomes as effortless as controlling one's own limbs. Such a ridiculous mistake should simply not happen.

Of course, Yan Zizai could never have imagined that Yun Che, in the instant he touched Yan Ming's arm, had guided the fire from Yan Ming's hand into his palm. Even if Yun Che were to openly admit it now, Yan Zizai would absolutely not believe him.

"Elder, I..."

"Shut up! Haven't you disgraced us enough already?! Get down there and treat your injuries!" Yan Zizai snapped angrily.

Yan Ming obediently shut his mouth and walked back, his burned hands hanging low, head bowed. He glanced at Yun Che, then gritted his teeth... Instinctively, he felt that the breaking of the Cloud Sun Chain and the profound fire backlash might be related to Yun Che; otherwise, he could never have made such mistakes. But if it was related to Yun Che, he couldn't find any reason. How could Yun Che, merely at the first level of the Elementary Profound Realm, break his Cloud Sun Chain with bare hands, let alone have a way to make his profound fire backlash?

"Heh, this kid's luck isn't bad. He actually ran into such an idiot. I thought he was about to pay for his previous arrogance," scoffed the middle-aged man from Xiao Sect.

"He won't get past the next person," Xiao Luocheng said with a faint smile.

The elders and disciples of New Moon Profound Palace also let out long sighs of relief. They had thought Yun Che was destined for a disastrous defeat, possibly even severe burns, but unexpectedly, his opponent made a minor, amateur mistake in his sect's profound art, leading to Yun Che's victory instead. This meant that Yun Che, with his profound energy at the first level of the Elementary Profound Realm, had successively defeated a second-level and a third-level Elementary Profound Realm practitioner!!

This was absolutely a proud achievement that allowed New Moon Profound Palace to hold its head high.

Yun Che crossed his arms, his slightly youthful face now filled with arrogance. "That's two down! Who's next for the third?"

His arrogant tone drew sneers from the disciples of the Seven Sects. Didn't this arrogant fool realize that his previous victory was purely due to Yan Ming's amateur mistake of burning himself?

As Yun Che's figure settled, the youngest-looking disciple from the Wind Cloud Profound Palace's seats directly in front of him stood up.

"Feng Guangyi! Disciple of Wind Cloud Profound Palace, sixteen years old!" The young man was not tall, nor particularly striking in appearance, and was only sixteen years old. Naturally, at sixteen, having been highly praised by countless people, he possessed an innate arrogance. He looked at Yun Che with disdain and said indifferently, "I wasn't going to step forward, because you're not worthy of being my opponent. But I simply can't stand your arrogant demeanor. You merely got lucky defeating a second-rate nobody, Xuan Yu, and even luckier in beating a joke from the Cloud Sun Sect. Do you really consider yourself someone important? Unfortunately, in my eyes, you're nothing but a joke too!"

"Well said! Make him get off the stage!""Do they really think our Seven Sects have no one left?!""Hmm, although Feng Guangyi just turned sixteen, he's already been at the third level of the Elementary Profound Realm for several months. It's said he's about to break through to the fourth level. His talent definitely surpasses Yan Ming's. Reportedly, his comprehension is exceptionally high, and he has already cultivated his sect's profound art, 'Wind Cloud Void-Breaking Art,' to the third stage, which even startled the grand elder of Wind Cloud Profound Palace who had been in seclusion for many years... I'd guess this arrogant Yun Che won't last ten moves against him.""Ten moves? Pfft, you think too highly of him. Five moves at most, and he'll be rolling off!"

Feng Guangyi's taunts were quite jarring, but Yun Che wasn't annoyed in the slightest. He returned them with an even more sarcastic gaze and tone: "You'll soon find out who the real joke is."

"Hmph!" Feng Guangyi sneered, "If I don't make you get out of here within ten moves, then I'm not Feng Guangyi!"

As he spoke, Feng Guangyi's half-closed eyes snapped fully open. His clothes suddenly began to flutter violently, as if caught in a strong gale... Indeed, a powerful vortex of wind swirled around his body.

Feng Guangyi raised his gaze and said indifferently, "Yun Che, kid, remember this well: the profound skill that will send you rolling off this stage is my Wind Cloud Profound Palace's 'Nine Transformations of Wind and Cloud'!!"

As his voice fell, Feng Guangyi's body lunged forward like a gale, charging towards Yun Che. In his rapid movement, his body constantly shifted directions, alternating left and right, moving faster and faster. A blur of indistinguishable shadows and terrifying wind vortices swept past Yun Che's eyes.

"First Transformation... Gale Transformation!"

With a loud shout, four fierce profound energy blasts struck Yun Che simultaneously like four gusts of wind. Yun Che's brow furrowed, and his figure flashed, dodging three of them. The fourth was unavoidable, so profound energy rapidly surged, fully forming a defensive profound barrier in front of him.

Bang!!

Yun Che reeled back three steps, his chest churning. Resisting profound energy at the third level of the Elementary Profound Realm with protective profound energy at only the first level was indeed too strenuous. One hit was tolerable, but if it happened again, he would surely be injured.

"Second Transformation... Wind Shadow Transformation!"

The wind vortex spun even faster and more violently. Yun Che's ears were filled with whistling wind, and Feng Guangyi's movement speed reached its extreme. Yun Che was surrounded by Feng Guangyi's shadows. Just then, a figure, like a storm, slammed towards his back... And Yun Che, almost at the exact same instant, spun around.

Yun Che's swift reaction greatly exceeded Feng Guangyi's expectations, though he was only slightly surprised. He believed that even if Yun Che reacted, with his speed at its limit combined with a back attack, it would be impossible for Yun Che to dodge in time. He threw a heavy punch, aiming squarely at Yun Che's neck.

However, in the very instant Yun Che turned, his right fist shot out, meeting Feng Guangyi's punch head-on.

"What! Is he crazy?! He's actually going to meet Feng Guangyi head-on!""If he fully protected himself with profound energy, perhaps he wouldn't be too severely injured. But Feng Guangyi is at the late third level of the Elementary Profound Realm! How dare he, a first-level Elementary Profound Realm practitioner, go head-to-head? He simply doesn't know his limits!"

Upon seeing this scene, everyone in the hall knew Yun Che was truly finished. If that punch connected, a dislocated wrist would be light; his arm might even be directly shattered. Feng Guangyi's punch not only possessed power two levels above Yun Che's, but also the formidable profound art of the Wind Cloud Profound Palace!

However, for Yun Che to be so arrogant and make such bold claims, how could he not have something to rely on!

At the moment their fists were about to collide, a sharp gleam suddenly flashed in Yun Che's eyes. Within his profound veins, arranged in the pattern of the Big Dipper, the first of the seven continuously sealed profound gates quietly opened...

Seven Realms of the Evil God — First Realm: Evil Soul... Open!