Chapter 1169: Sudden Change
Hubbub——
The words "I forfeit" caused a wave of commotion across not only the Feng Shen Platform but also the entire Dong Shen Domain.
The Feng Shen Battle was the pinnacle of profound arts in the Dong Shen Domain, a visual feast for all profound practitioners there. It was also the place where true geniuses tested and proved themselves. Hence, anyone who entered the Feng Shen Battle would give their all, even against an opponent they had no hope of defeating.
No one had ever forfeited without a fight.
Yun Che's direct forfeit was unprecedented in the history of the Feng Shen Battle. After the commotion subsided, many recalled Yun Che's profound strength and the "method" by which he entered the battle, and they no longer found it so strange. In fact, quite a few people snickered.
"Heh, looks like this brat actually knows shame. I thought he had no face at all."
"After all, the Feng Shen Battle is different from before. Back then, only we could see it, but now the entire Dong Shen Domain watches. Rather than go up there and embarrass himself, it's better to just forfeit."
"Forfeiting directly in the Feng Shen Battle... what a disgrace to the Dong Shen Domain's profound arts! If the Xi Shen Domain and Nan Shen Domain find out, they'll laugh themselves silly!"
"And the key point is that the Dragon God of the Xi Shen Domain and the Shitian Shen Di of the Nan Shen Domain are present... we've already embarrassed ourselves in front of the outer divine regions."
"Yun Che!" Quhui Zunzhe frowned deeply and spoke in a heavy voice: "This is the Feng Shen Battle, not child's play. How can you forfeit so easily? Even if you are bound to lose, if you give it your all in battle, you can at least preserve your dignity!"
"I said, I forfeit!" Yun Che's expression did not change as he repeated.
"Brother Yun..." Huo Poyun wanted to say something, but didn't know how to put it. From the perspective of his own profound arts dignity, he absolutely could never bring himself to do something like directly forfeiting.
"Trash!!" On the Feng Shen Platform, Luo Chang'an narrowed his eyes. Yesterday, he had been publicly scolded by Quhui Zunzhe because of Yun Che, and he was already extremely displeased with Yun Che. Yun Che's direct forfeit gave him an outlet to vent: "I went through a thousand hardships to enter the Feng Shen Battle to train myself, not to waste time with garbage like you! Hah, where's your momentum from yesterday? Can't you use that... what was it... Shadow Concealment! Come on, show me!"
Yun Che: "..."
"Only the lowest trash surrenders. If you're still a man, come up and fight me fair and square. I'll teach you what real strength is!"
"Enough!" Quhui Zunzhe shouted lowly: "In the Feng Shen Battle, you must not insult your opponent without reason."
Though he reprimanded, his tone was not harsh, and he deliberately emphasized the words "without reason." He glared at Yun Che: "I will ask you one last time..."
"I forfeit." Before Quhui Zunzhe could finish asking, Yun Che said it for the third time. The tone was exactly the same each time, completely unmoved by the crowd's commotion.
Quhui Zunzhe's face darkened slightly, as if he was angered. Then he let out a cold snort: "Very well, this also saves time."
"Yun Che forfeits, drops into the loser's group!"
"Luo Chang'an wins by default, enters the Feng Shen group!"
With Quhui Zunzhe's announcement, the result was settled. Even if Yun Che immediately regretted it, it could not be changed.
This was perhaps the first time in the history of the Feng Shen Battle that someone lost without fighting.
Luo Chang'an curled his lips and leaped off the Feng Shen Platform. But in mid-air, he suddenly extended his hand toward Yun Che's direction, thumb down, and the corners of his mouth curled into a look of contempt as if looking at an ant.
This gesture of his drew half the venue into laughter.
"..." Yun Che crossed his arms, his expression unchanged. But deep in his eyes, a cold light suddenly flashed.
Mu Bingyun was at the Divine Sovereign Realm, standing right next to Yun Che. She naturally sensed the killing intent that burst forth from Yun Che. Her brows tilted: "Yun Che!?"
"Don't worry, I'm not impulsive enough to lose my temper over such a trivial matter." Yun Che even smiled instead.
"...It seems the person you are waiting for still hasn't arrived." Mu Bingyun said softly. There were special spatial profound formations connecting the king realms. During the Profound God Convention, there was no reason not to activate them. And with the power of a Star God at that level, they could easily traverse space. If they were going to come... they should have arrived long ago.
Yun Che quickly swept a glance toward the Star God Realm seats and then immediately withdrew it. He sighed inwardly and said in a low voice: "Those around the Star God Emperor... are they all Star Gods?"
"Correct." Mu Bingyun nodded slightly: "In previous Profound God Conventions, at most one Star God would personally attend from the Star God Realm. This time, because of the 'big event,' including the Star God Emperor, five Star Gods came at once."
"To the right of the Star God Emperor is the Imperial Tutor of the Star God Realm, the Tianyuan Star God, Tu Mi... It is said that the Heavenly Slaughter Star God also studied under him when she was young."
Yun Che: "..."
"Behind him, the one in pink is the Tianyao Star God, Qiang Wei. The one in black is the Tiangang Star God, Shen Hu. The one in green is the Tiandu Star God..."
"Yu Luo." Yun Che murmured.
"Oh? You've heard of her?"
"...She saw me four years ago," Yun Che said in a low voice.
"What?" Mu Bingyun showed surprise. Four years ago... at that time, Yun Che hadn't even arrived at the God Realm yet.
"Don't worry," Yun Che was completely unconcerned: "Even though the name is the same and the appearance is similar, she won't mistake me for the 'Yun Che' she killed four years ago. My aura now is completely different from back then. And a Star God would never believe that she failed to kill a mere mortal from the lower realm."
"..." Mu Bingyun frowned deeply. From Yun Che's words, she could vaguely guess what had happened.
"By the way... I suddenly thought of one thing..."
"Feng Shen Battle, first round, third match: Wei Hen vs. Li Jianming of the Thunderclap Realm!"
Yun Che did not continue. He quickly raised his head and looked at the Feng Shen Platform.
Wei Hen... this man... what exactly was he going to do here?
On the Feng Shen Platform, the two combatants had already taken their positions. Wei Hen had a face that was completely unfamiliar to everyone present, and his head of pale white hair was particularly eye-catching. He stood there stiffly, his face rigid, his eyes staring fixedly at Li Jianming in front of him.
Li Jianming had been frowning the entire time, for his body had inexplicably been growing colder and colder.
It was a deep cold that seeped straight into his marrow.
The man before him, named "Wei Hen," had profound strength two minor realms lower than him. There was no reason for him to lose. But for some reason, he could not relax at all. His heart was pounding wildly, especially when faced with those eyes that were staring unblinkingly at him. Those were perhaps the most terrifying eyes he had ever seen in his life, giving him an inexplicable sense of fear... and it was extraordinarily strong.
Who is this person?
Why does he look so full of deep-seated hatred?
He was certain he had never seen this man before, because he couldn't remember anyone with such pale white hair. But vaguely, he had a faint, hazy feeling of familiarity that he couldn't quite recall.
"...Begin combat!"
At Quhui Zunzhe's command, Wei Hen instantly grabbed his weapon. It was still that strangely shaped short blade, its edge resembling a serpent's kiss.
Two minor realms at the Divine Spirit Realm, logically speaking, should be an irreparable gap. But with the lesson from the previous match fresh in mind, Li Jianming naturally would not underestimate his opponent. He held a cerulean long sword horizontally in front of him, the blade crackling with thunder: "Please enlighten me!"
Wei Hen struck without warning. When he moved, it was as fast as lightning. The serpent blade's cold light flashed, thrusting straight at Li Jianming's throat.
Li Jianming's brow sank. He pointed his sword forward, and a thunder array quickly took shape. Dozens of streaks of thunder slammed down, and amidst the rumbling, they forcefully drove Wei Hen back.
As soon as the two clashed, Wei Hen was ferocious to the extreme. Every thrust of his blade, every flash of cold light, went straight for vital points, as if he intended to kill Li Jianming on the spot. With a considerable advantage in profound strength, Li Jianming calmly responded. His sword danced with thunder, his profound aura surging like waves, completely nullifying Wei Hen's attacks and then easily suppressing him.
On the eastern dais, the Dragon God suddenly frowned: "Strange, this man... his lifespan, I fear, is less than ten years!"
"It seems this is not something this old man alone perceives," Zhou Tian Shen Di also nodded: "His loss of life force is extremely unusual. It is as if..."
Zhou Tian Shen Di suddenly thought of something, paused, and his brow sank deeply. At the same time, a trace of an unusual profound aura flickered by. Though it was only for an instant, it made the Dragon God and all the Divine Emperors change expression.
"This is!?"
Clang!!
Wei Hen was slammed heavily to the ground, his serpent blade flying out of his hand. He knelt on the ground, head hanging low, panting heavily. The hands gripping the ground trembled unnaturally.
Li Jianming slowly stepped forward, sheathing his sword, and said courteously: "You are no match for me. Since you have lost your weapon, you should surrender."
"Heh... hehehehehe..."
Wei Hen laughed, a laugh that was extremely low. His entire body began to tremble abnormally, especially his chest, heaving so violently as if something was about to explode at any moment. Finally, he slowly raised his head. His eyes were emitting a cold, black light, like the suddenly awakened pupils of a demon.
In that instant, all the powerhouses on the Feng Shen Platform were stunned, and then their expressions changed drastically.
Mu Bingyun, Mu Huanzhi, Huo Rulie, Yan Juehai, and others all jolted as if struck by lightning and shot to their feet: "This... this is..."
Under the gaze of those pitch-black pupils, Li Jianming's entire body went cold, as if he had fallen into an icy hell. His pupils contracted to the utmost as if pierced by needles. The world before him blurred and rapidly darkened... And in his ears came his father's hoarse, desperate roar: "Jianming... retreat!!!"
His father's roar jolted his consciousness back to clarity, but a black shadow had already pounced in front of him, locking him in a death grip with its limbs and entire body. A dense black light, from some unknown source, spread rapidly through the medium of his body.
"You... you... Ah... Wuwawawawa!!!" As if thousands of icy poisonous thorns had pierced his body and soul in an instant, Li Jianming let out a heart-rending scream.
"Li Jianming..." A hoarse whisper that seemed to come from a demon sounded in his ear: "Do you still remember... the Kui Clan, whom you massacred thirteen years ago!"
"You... are... Ugh aaaaah..." Li Jianming's screams grew more and more shrill with each one. Beneath the black aura, his body was being rapidly corroded from the inside out. He struggled desperately. Wei Hen's bones were shattered piece by piece, his chest was pierced through, but he did not loosen his grip one bit.
"Bl... Black Profound Aura!!"
"He's a demon!!!"
"Quhui!!"
Thunder exploded on the Feng Shen Platform. The nearest Quhui Zunzhe's face changed dramatically. He shot through the barrier like a great eagle, descending directly.
"Clan annihilation... the hatred of my wife being violated and my son being killed... Even if I exhaust my lifespan and turn into a demon... I will drag you down to hell!!! Aaaaaaah!!!"
Each word was as mournful as a ghost, each syllable was boundless hatred.
"I'll be waiting for you... in hell!!!"
Boom!!!
Just as Quhui Zunzhe's power was about to envelop him, Wei Hen's body suddenly exploded, scattering black blood across the sky. Li Jianming, who was screaming in terror, was blown into two pieces, his screams turning into despairing whimpers... then fading away completely.
"Jianming!!"
The Realm King of the Thunderclap Realm rushed to the Feng Shen Platform, but could only helplessly watch the moment Li Jianming's body was blasted apart. The two halves of the corpse flew far away. When they landed, they were already charred black and rapidly decomposing with a sizzling sound.
This terrifying scene made countless powerhouses present tremble with fear.
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[Luo Changsheng is Luo Changsheng, Luo Chang'an is Luo Chang'an. One is a god, the other is scum, don't mix them up!]