Chapter 68: A Battle Shocks the City (5)
Yun Che's words made the disciples of New Moon Mystic Palace feel immensely gratified. Li Hao's injuries had stabilized, and he straightened his back, his fists clenched tightly as he looked at Xuanyu lying unconscious on the ground in a miserable state. He felt that he had never been this relieved in his entire life. He was also extremely grateful to Yun Che. He knew very well that if it weren't for Yun Che, he might never have had the chance to settle this score with Xuanyu, let alone repay it several times over.
Defeated in five moves—the first two were slaps, the next two gave him black eyes, and the final blow knocked him unconscious. This was no sparring; it was outright humiliation! "When cursing, don't expose weaknesses; when hitting, don't strike the face." Yet Yun Che had gone straight for Xuanyu's face. It wasn't that Yun Che had malicious intentions, but Xuanyu's severe injury to Xia Yuanba had truly angered him.
As disciples of the Xuanxin Sect, they were used to looking down on the disciples of New Moon Mystic Palace, whom they had always despised. Now being counter-sarcastically criticized by someone they looked down upon made their faces burn with shame and their hearts blaze with fury. One of them suddenly stood up and said to Qin Wushang: "Lord Qin, today is your inauguration day. We, the Xuanxin Sect, came with sincerity to offer our congratulations. The disciple sparring was meant to add to the festivities, but your disciple’s attacks were ruthless and malicious, deliberately humiliating our Xuanxin Sect disciple... May I ask Lord Qin, is this the way New Moon Mystic Palace treats its guests?"
"Hahahaha..." Before Qin Wushang could respond, Yun Che burst into laughter. "I really wonder how thick one's face must be to utter such words. Your Xuanxin Sect disciple Xuanyu repeatedly severely injured two of our New Moon Mystic Palace disciples, and anyone who isn't blind can see it was purely malicious harm. In the process, he even insulted and mocked our New Moon Mystic Palace. Not a single person from your sect stepped in to stop him; instead, they cheered and laughed. Is that what your Xuanxin Sect calls sincerity? It's worse than a dog's fart!"
Qin Wushang had been about to stand up, but hearing Yun Che speak, he sat back down, a faint smile on his face, as steady as a mountain. Inside, he was secretly amazed: This young lad...
"You!!" The Xuanxin Sect member hadn't expected a mere disciple of the Mystic Palace to point a finger at him and curse him out, each word hitting vital points, leaving him utterly speechless to refute.
"Now that I've merely injured one of your disciples, you jump out to question our Lord Qin. But when Xuanyu injured our disciples earlier, where were you? Are you all blind? Or is this the consistent behavior of your Xuanxin Sect?" Yun Che showed no sign of backing down, his words venomous.
For a long time, the disciples of New Moon Mystic Palace had felt inferior compared to the Seven Sects. Despite being suppressed openly and covertly by the Seven Sects, New Moon Mystic Palace could only endure, unwilling to clash with any of them. Not only disciples, but even elders had never dared to rebuke the Seven Sects like this.
But Yun Che, a newly entered disciple only sixteen years old, stood in front of the Xuanxin Sect's chief elder, pointed at the Xuanxin Sect's nose, and cursed them out, causing that Xuanxin Sect disciple to tremble all over. The other Xuanxin Sect members also turned livid.
Awesome! Freaking awesome! Seeing the collective ashen faces of the Xuanxin Sect, as if they had eaten shit, the disciples of New Moon Mystic Palace felt so exhilarated they could float. In this matter, New Moon Mystic Palace was completely in the right. Xuanyu's malicious injury was witnessed by all. Yet even so, had it been anyone else but Yun Che, they wouldn't have dared to rebuke and mock the Xuanxin Sect like this. But Yun Che dared—he said what they wanted to say but didn't dare, and cursed those they wanted to curse but absolutely dared not.
"Heh, a newborn calf isn't afraid of tigers." The middle-aged man who had come with Xiao Luocheng from the Xiao Sect's outer sect said in a low voice.
"Good momentum, passable talent. It's rare for New Moon Mystic Palace to produce such a disciple." Xiao Luocheng held his wine glass, squinting slightly as he admired the faint ripples in the glass, seemingly indifferent to what was happening in the hall. "Unfortunately, he's a bit arrogant and foolish. Daring to offend the Xuanxin Sect so openly, does he think New Moon Mystic Palace can really protect him?"
On the New Moon Mystic Palace side, the elders' expressions shifted. Yun Che's defeat of Xuanyu had indeed given New Moon Mystic Palace a huge sigh of relief, and his subsequent words were satisfying, but they had put the Xuanxin Sect in an impossible position. The Xuanxin Sect was one of New Moon City's Seven Great Sects. To offend such a behemoth at the age of sixteen—even New Moon Mystic Palace might find it difficult to protect him.
The Xuanxin Sect's gazes toward Yun Che had turned dark. But Yun Che seemed oblivious, turning slightly, scanning the entire hall, and said proudly: "Our New Moon Mystic Palace was established by the royal family. Naturally, our resources and foundation cannot compare to the various sects here. But the disciples of New Moon Mystic Palace will never consider themselves inferior to anyone, nor will we be bullied! Those who insult others will be insulted in return! The Xuanxin Sect's Xuanyu maliciously injured my senior and junior brothers in front of everyone. As a disciple of New Moon Mystic Palace, I have no reason to be polite to him. Otherwise, wouldn't New Moon City laugh at us, saying the disciples of New Moon Mystic Palace are all cowards who swallow their grievances after being bullied? If you are dissatisfied and unconvinced, feel free to come up and teach me a lesson. I've heard that the Seven Great Sects of New Moon City produce many talents. As an ordinary disciple of New Moon Mystic Palace, I want to know... how many of you it will take to make me... step down from here!"
These words sent shockwaves through everyone in the hall. If his earlier words were just impassioned statements, the last sentence was nothing short of arrogant—arrogant to the extreme! Because its implication was a challenge and a contempt for the Seven Great Sects from the position of an ordinary disciple of New Moon Mystic Palace!
"What a complete fool!" Murong Ye snorted coldly.
"Junior Brother Yun has just made a big splash, but this is too arrogant and reckless..." This was the sentiment of most New Moon Mystic Palace disciples, especially those who had been in New Moon City for a long time. They knew very well how astonishing the strength of the Seven Great Sects was. Although Yun Che had defeated Xuanyu, with his strength at the first level of the Xuan Entry Realm, any of the younger generation geniuses of the Seven Great Sects could easily crush him. His words not only drew aggro but also... invited humiliation.
"This, this, this..." Sikong Han's face was full of anxiety. He moved, wanting to stand up and call Yun Che back, but under these circumstances, he couldn't say anything to stop him.
"It seems calling him foolish is still too kind... He's just an idiot." Xiao Luocheng set down his wine glass and smiled disdainfully. A sixteen-year-old reaching the first level of the Xuan Entry Realm was indeed decent talent, even in the upper echelons of the Seven Great Sects. But daring to be so arrogant based on that alone—in his eyes, it was like a clown jumping around.
At the same age of sixteen, Xiao Luocheng, hailed as the number one youth of New Moon City, was already at the tenth level of the Xuan Entry Realm, surpassing Yun Che by almost an entire major realm! From his level, facing Yun Che's current posture and words, he indeed saw him as an arrogant clown.
"Hahahaha! This is hilarious! A trash at the first level of the Xuan Entry Realm, merely using a movement technique to luckily defeat the Xuanxin Sect's Xuanyu, and yet he dares to be so arrogant? He doesn't know his place! Let me teach you a lesson!"
With a voice full of mockery, a figure leaped high and landed in front of Yun Che, a young face showing provocation and disdain. As soon as he appeared, many people from New Moon Mystic Palace called out his name.
"It's Yan Ming of the Yunyang Sect! I heard his talent ranks among the top five in the younger generation of Yunyang Sect! Only sixteen, and already at the third level of the Xuan Entry Realm, and his Burning Sun Art has reached minor success!"
Yan Ming raised his palm, and with a "puff," a cluster of red flame more than half a foot high burst forth. "Yan Ming, of the Yunyang Sect, sixteen years and seven months. Remember your old man's name, because your old man is about to teach you how to behave!"
"Heh, is that so?" Facing Yan Ming, who was already displaying fire-based profound arts, Yun Che showed no fear, sneering back. "I'm afraid it's you who will learn how to behave in the end."
At the same time, he muttered inwardly: Playing with fire in front of me? You don't even know how you'll die!
"Looks like you've only got a sharp tongue left. Heh, make good use of that movement technique of yours, because it's the only thing that will let you last a little longer. Come on, start running with my flames! Let everyone admire your beautiful posture as you flee with your tail between your legs, hahahaha... Yunyang Chain!!"
Amid his wild laughter, Yan Ming swung his hands violently. In an instant, a wave of scorching heat spread out, and two arm-thick fire profound energies burst from his palms, crossing several meters like two ferocious chains, entangling toward Yun Che's body.
"Yunyang Chain! That's the signature technique of the Yunyang Sect, the Yunyang Chain! This Yan Ming is only at the third level of the Xuan Entry Realm, yet he can already use such a terrifying fire profound technique! It's unbelievable!" the elder of New Moon Mystic Palace's second class exclaimed in shock.
"With this level of Yunyang Chain, even a Xuan practitioner at the sixth level of the Xuan Entry Realm would find it hard to withstand. Yun Che this time... I hope his movement technique can keep him from being fatally injured. Sigh," another elder sighed.
"Using Yunyang Chain against an arrogant brat at the first level of the Xuan Entry Realm is like killing a chicken with a cleaver," an eighteen-year-old disciple of the Yunyang Sect said with a curl of his lip.
The two Yunyang Chains danced like ferocious fire dragons, emitting a suffocating heat. Yun Che quickly sidestepped, shifting by three body lengths, but the two chains seemed to have eyes, suddenly turning and wrapping around Yun Che at even greater speed. Yun Che appeared to have no way to avoid them and actually reached out his hand to grab the Yunyang Chains.
"Damn! Does he not want his hand anymore?"
"Tch, he's probably scared out of his wits and doesn't know what to do. Unless Yan Ming goes easy on him, this will burn the meridians in his hand, and he'll be crippled for life."
Seeing Yun Che's action, Yan Ming laughed maniacally inside: He's using his right hand to grab my Yunyang Chain? Hahaha, you asked for it! Everyone can see it clearly. If his hand is crippled, it's not my fault!
Many on the New Moon Mystic Palace side gasped, but in the blink of an eye, no one could react. Yun Che's hand had firmly grasped Yan Ming's two Yunyang Chains...
In that instant, the people of New Moon Mystic Palace collectively held their breath. Some female disciples even closed their eyes, unable to bear watching what would come next. But no sound of burning arose; no black smoke emerged from Yun Che's palm, nor did flames spread across his hand. The moment Yun Che's hand caught them, the two Yunyang Chains snapped in his grip like two easily broken noodles.