Chapter 1180: The True Beginning
The ice spikes pinned Luo Changan high in the air as he let out a hoarse, agonized roar. The extreme cold of the Ice Phoenix God-Sealing Canon was far beyond any other ice profound force; it was like thousands of soul-piercing needles stabbing through his entire body, causing him unbearable pain.
But even if the physical pain were ten times worse, it could never compare to the humiliation in his heart. What was nailed down was not just his body, but also all the glory and dignity of his life. The scene unfolding before the eyes of the entire Eastern Divine Region, even in the most terrifying nightmares of his life, had never appeared, and it would surely become a stain of shame that he could never wash away in his lifetime.
Under the terrifyingly extreme Ice Phoenix power, his entire body was completely immobile. Even if he wanted to circulate his profound energy to force himself into unconsciousness, he couldn’t do it. Gradually, he could no longer feel the existence of his body—all he could feel was endless pain and humiliation.
“Yun… Che!!” The fury in Shengyu Realm King’s chest erupted like a volcano. Even if Luo Changan were a complete waste, he was still the son of the Shengyu Realm King. How could he ever have suffered such humiliation?
And how could the Shengyu Realm itself have ever endured such disgrace?
Not to mention that Yun Che came from a mid-level star realm—even someone like the Four Divine Sons of the Eastern Domain would never dare to treat Luo Changan like this.
Everyone from the Shengyu Realm had already stood up, their faces dark. If this weren’t the Feng Shen Platform, but anywhere else in the Eastern Divine Region, they would have surely exploded. On the eastern seats, the Divine Emperors also frowned deeply. Although Luo Changan was arrogant and unbridled, and had publicly insulted Yun Che several times before, they never imagined that Yun Che would not only completely defeat Luo Changan but also return the previous humiliation a million times over, right before the eyes of the entire Eastern Divine Region.
“Yun Che… I… ahh… kill… you…”
Luo Changan shouted desperately, but every word he uttered came with increasing pain, until finally, it was almost despair.
Even though Shengyu Realm King was about to explode with rage, he dared not act out because of Quhui Zunzhe’s earlier warning. He took a deep breath and said loudly, “Changan, a true man can bend and stretch. Victory and defeat are common. Since you have lost, just admit defeat honestly. There’s no need to hold on.”
“No, no, no! Shengyu Realm King, your words are greatly mistaken!”
As soon as Shengyu Realm King finished speaking and before Luo Changan could respond, Yun Che suddenly turned around and said loudly, “In ordinary people’s eyes, victory and defeat are indeed common, and admitting defeat does not make one less of a man. But this is Young Master Luo Changan. In his eyes, admitting defeat and surrendering is what ‘despicable trash’ does, and ‘a dog begging for mercy.’ It is absolutely not the act of a ‘true man.’”
“If he truly admits defeat and surrenders, wouldn’t that be acknowledging himself as ‘despicable trash’ and ‘a dog begging for mercy’? That would not only humiliate himself but also drag the entire Shengyu Realm into shame. As the son of the Shengyu Realm King, how could Luo Changan possibly do such a thing?”
“You!”
Completely ignoring Shengyu Realm King’s furious expression, Yun Che continued, “Oh, and by the way, these are not words I forced onto Luo Changan. He said them himself earlier. I believe everyone present, as well as everyone watching in the Eastern Divine Region, heard them clearly. I didn’t exaggerate a single word!”
“Moreover, when Luo Changan made those bold claims, Shengyu Realm King did not rebuke him at all. It seems you quite agree… I suppose this is the consistent principle of the profound way in your Shengyu Realm? How truly admirable.”
Not only did he humiliate Luo Changan like this, but he also used his own words to force him into a dead end, while mocking the entire Shengyu Realm. Shengyu Realm King stared at Yun Che and said in a low voice, “You little brat… you have quite the nerve!”
“Hahahaha!” Before Shengyu Realm King could finish, a loud laugh interrupted him. On the eastern seats, Cang Shitian was clapping and laughing without any Divine Emperor’s dignity: “An eye for an eye—that’s what a real man does! Good job, Yun boy! This is satisfying!”
Shitian Shen Di’s unbridled laughter was undoubtedly a slap in the face of Shengyu Realm King. Shengyu Realm King’s gaze darkened, but he dared not look directly at Shitian Shen Di’s position. He didn’t leave either, instead saying in a very low voice, “Quhui Zunzhe, my son Changan has already been defeated. This beast Yun Che is deliberately humiliating him. This act not only insults the Shengyu Realm but also disgraces the Feng Shen Battle.”
“Hmph! Luo Changan insulted others first. Receiving this retribution is his own fault!” Quhui Zunzhe snorted coldly. However, he did not remain indifferent. He turned around and said heavily, “Luo Changan, your body and profound energy have been sealed. You have no strength to resist. I intend to declare you defeated. Do you have any objection?”
Shengyu Realm King suddenly raised his head and urgently shouted, “Changan!”
Pinned in the air, Luo Changan was in unbearable pain and was forced by Yun Che to be unable to surrender. He was in a state of neither life nor death. Upon hearing these words, it was like hearing celestial music. He mustered all his strength and roared, “Junior… has no objection!”
“Hmph!”
Quhui Zunzhe waved his arm. With a soft sound, the ice spikes that had pinned Luo Changan high in the air instantly dissipated. Luo Changan fell straight to the ground like a dog with broken limbs, lying there, his whole body convulsing.
He knew very well that his disgraceful appearance today had fallen into the eyes of countless profound practitioners of the Eastern Divine Region. As the son of the Shengyu Realm King and one of the thirty-two Feng Shen Sons, such an ugly display would spread like wildfire. For a long time to come, he would become a joke.
“First match of the second round of the losers’ bracket: Yun Che wins. Advances to tomorrow’s third round of the losers’ bracket! Luo Changan loses, eliminated from the Feng Shen Battle!”
As Quhui Zunzhe announced, Luo Changan struggled to turn his head, trying to find where Yun Che was. But he only managed to turn halfway before passing out from severe injuries and the assault of shame and anger.
Yun Che looked coldly at Luo Changan and said nothing. After all, the Shengyu Realm was an upper-level star realm among upper-level star realms. At such a point, the Zhoutian Realm would not really sit idly by. He was not surprised at all that Quhui Zunzhe would forcefully intervene.
Shengyu Realm King reached out, sucked Luo Changan’s body under his palm, then quickly left with him, without even glancing at Yun Che again.
But Yun Che clearly felt a flash of cold intent sweep over him.
This was Yun Che’s first real battle in the Feng Shen Battle, and even in the entire Profound God Convention. Three days ago, he would certainly not have been a match for Luo Changan. But today’s battle was an unequivocal complete victory!
With the profound power of the eighth level of the Divine Tribulation Realm, he completely defeated someone at the sixth level of the Divine Spirit Realm. The shock this brought could be imagined. As he left the Feng Shen Platform and returned to the spectator seats, almost all eyes were still fixed on him, filled with lingering shock.
Even the people from the Yin Xue Realm stared blankly at Yun Che, clearly not yet recovered.
“You… are you really… Yun Che?” The Ice Phoenix Grand Elder Mu Huanzhi stared straight at Yun Che. “You… exactly…”
“Grand Elder, this is a secret technique the sect has prepared for Yun Che for a long time. It seems very successful,” Mu Bingyun said softly.
“So… that’s it.” Mu Huanzhi and the others slowly nodded, but their hearts were still full of astonishment. Back then, when Yun Che, with the King Xuan Realm’s profound power, had continuously defeated Spirit Origin Realm disciples of the Cold Snow Hall, they had been deeply amazed. Winning in the later stages of the Divine Tribulation Realm against the middle stages of the Divine Spirit Realm was something they had never heard of.
This was definitely not something a “secret technique” could achieve.
“Brother Yun… excellent!” Huo Poyun said excitedly. As someone who had also been subjected to a “secret technique” that caused a massive increase in profound power, he naturally did not ask out of curiosity why Yun Che had improved so much.
Beside him, Huo Rulie and Yan Juehai both stared wide-eyed at Yun Che, as if looking at a monster that defied common sense.
Far away, a pair of starry eyes watched the Feng Shen Platform from above the clouds, always following one person—from the moment he instantly knocked Luo Changan to his knees to the moment he left the Feng Shen Platform calmly under everyone’s gaze.
Yesterday, she had personally watched Yun Che leave the Zhoutian Realm alone, watched him walk into the teleportation array to return… The moment his figure disappeared, she felt a great loss, as if her heart and soul had been suddenly hollowed out. But at the same time, her heart found peace.
He left… finally left…
Please… never come back…
But after only one day, he returned.
With reborn-like power, and even a completely different look in his eyes.
Her heart became chaotic, so chaotic that even she couldn’t describe it.
“Yun Che… why did you come back…” she muttered absentmindedly. “Why do you never… listen to me…”
Just then, her gaze suddenly shifted sideways. Her originally dazed and chaotic eyes instantly turned icy cold, because she detected a presence that she hated to the extreme, a hatred that would never fade even in death.
“Qian… Ye… Ying… Er!!”
Murderous intent wildly grew in her soul and the depths of her eyes, but she immediately suppressed it forcefully. She turned around and silently walked away, soon disappearing into the horizon.
In another direction, Qianye Ying’er slowly retracted her gaze. By her side was the withered old man in gray clothes.
“Miss, Tiansha Xingshen just noticed you,” the withered old man said in a low voice. “But instead of attacking you, she took the initiative to leave. Given Tiansha Xingshen’s temperament, this is very suspicious. However… it seems Miss has everything under control.”
“If not for that person, she would definitely have attacked me. But…” Qianye Ying’er’s lips curled into a breathtakingly beautiful arc that would make any man in the Eastern Divine Region lose his soul.
“Oh?”
“Gu Bo, from now on, keep a close watch on that person called Yun Che. Besides him, you don’t need to care about anyone or anything else,” Qianye Ying’er said. “I want to dig out all his secrets!”
“The things he carries might be even more interesting than the [Heaven-Defying World Scripture]!”
——————————————————
The second round of the losers’ bracket of the Feng Shen Battle continued. The second match was between Yun Che’s “acquaintance”—Wu Guike—and… Li Jianming, who had tied with Wei Hen in mutual destruction!
Although Li Jianming had died, his name remained in the record of the Feng Shen Battle. So although this match was not the same as Yun Che’s bye yesterday, the result was no different: Wu Guike won directly and advanced to tomorrow’s third round of the losers’ bracket.
After the first match, where Yun Che unexpectedly dominated and abused his opponent, and the second where Wu Guike won without fighting, starting from the third match, every battle was extremely fierce. With no obvious difference in profound power, the foundation of profound energy and the mastery of profound arts became more important. On the battlefield of the Feng Shen Battle, none of them held back in the slightest.
The longest match lasted over an hour before a victor was decided.
When the second round of the losers’ bracket concluded, it was already near evening. Today, a total of eight Feng Shen Sons were eliminated, and eight winners advanced to tomorrow’s battle.
Of the thirty-two Feng Shen Sons, sixteen had now been eliminated.
And at this moment, the battle list for tomorrow was displayed on the light screen:
Feng Shen Group Second Round Battles:
First Match: Yan Shen Realm [Huo Poyun] (Divine Spirit Realm Level 7) — vs — Yao Xin Sword Pavilion [Jun Xilei] (Divine Spirit Realm Level 10)
Second Match: Shengyu Realm [Luo Changsheng] (Divine Spirit Realm Level 10) — vs — Futian Realm [Lu Lengchuan] (Divine Spirit Realm Level 10)
Third Match: Liuguang Realm [Shui Meiyin] (Divine Spirit Realm Level 1) — vs — Feixing Realm [Meng Duanxi] (Divine Spirit Realm Level 9)
Fourth Match: Liuguang Realm [Shui Yingyue] (Divine Spirit Realm Level 10) — vs — Shengyang Holy Realm [Chao Feng] (Divine Spirit Realm Level 9)