Chapter 1212: Forcibly Breaking the Sword Domain
Everything happened exactly as Yun Che had anticipated.
However, he did not dodge or defend. Instead, in the same instant, he unleashed "Heaven-Shattering"… Although his sword swing speed was slower than Jun Xilei's, he possessed the Buddha Heart Divine Meridian personally bestowed by Mu Xuanyin, which made the speed of his profound force condensation and eruption far superior to Jun Xilei's. The vermilion sword arc was slower than the pale sword light, but its power far exceeded it.
Jun Xilei's sword light pierced through the vermilion sword arc, its power reduced by at least seventy percent. Jun Xilei had absolutely never imagined that Yun Che would erupt in the very first instant just like her, and with far greater intensity than she did. Her instant full-force strike also meant an instant opening, and she was hit head-on with almost no defense, suffering severe damage in a single blow.
As for Yun Che, he only gained a trivial blood hole that didn't even penetrate the bone.
"Alas." Jun Wuming was briefly stunned, then let out a sigh. Clearly, Jun Xilei hadn't heeded his words because she couldn't control her extreme hatred for Yun Che… In contrast, Yun Che had exploited Jun Xilei's hatred for him and directly inflicted heavy damage on her.
"This kid always brings surprises, heh." Cang Shitian smacked his lips.
"Although it's only a minor realm breakthrough within the Divine Tribulation Realm, how can his profound force have become this vigorous? It's fundamentally incomparable to before!" Xing Shendi said in astonishment. "And his sword—it's also vastly different from before."
"Vastly different? It's a world of difference." Fantian Shen Di narrowed his eyes. "The same sword, but its sword momentum is more than ten times stronger than before! On a qualitative level, it has clearly surpassed Jun Xilei's Wuguang."
"In just a few short days, both his person and his sword have undergone a complete transformation… How did he manage this?"
The gazes of all the Divine Emperors locked onto Yun Che, and for a moment, they were all silent. Once again, these figures who stood at the apex of chaos, like gods of the divine realm, had their hearts stirred by a junior less than half a Jiazi in age.
"Brother Yun… his profound force… is it really just a single minor realm improvement?" Huo Poyun said in disbelief, his face full of incredulity.
"Poyun," Huo Rulie sighed. "That Yun kid is doing this to vent your anger."
"…I know." Huo Poyun gave a slight nod.
"Sect Master Huo, where exactly has Yun Che been these past few days, and what has he been doing?" Mu Bingyun asked, her calm snow-like countenance barely hiding her astonishment.
Huo Rulie shook his head slightly. "I didn't expect either that he could reach this level… That kid is absolutely the number one little monster of the Eastern Divine Region! This battle… maybe… maybe… he might win!"
"No, not 'maybe'—very likely!" Yan Juehai said excitedly. "The sword strike Yun Che just delivered was already far stronger than before. And Jun Xilei is clearly heavily injured. Even if her overall strength exceeds Yun Che's, she's now at a disadvantage."
"Don't let your guard down," Mu Bingyun said. "Although she was careless and got hurt, she is, after all, the successor of the Sword Sovereign!"
On the Feng Shen Platform, Jun Xilei slowly rose to her feet. Her face was covered in an unnatural pallor, and the bloodstains at the corners of her mouth and on her white robes were shocking. Yet, the moment she gripped Wuguang in her hand again, a terrifying sword might, carrying surging fury, still made countless profound practitioners hold their breath.
The uproar in the spectator stands ceased, plunging into silence. In every corner of the Eastern Divine Region, all the profound practitioners gathered around the Star Monuments also held their breath, their hearts pounding wildly.
Could it be… that Yun Che… would win?
Ten breaths ago, this thought would have been dismissed by anyone as absurd. But now, it surged through the minds of all.
As the successor of the Sword Sovereign, how could Jun Xilei be foolish? The moment she stood, she understood that Yun Che had clearly exploited her mindset to turn the tables. His previous demeanor of being intimidated by her sword intent was nothing but a deliberate act, a false impression to lure her into attacking.
Yun Che's entire aura had also undergone a dramatic transformation. The sword might emanating from him gave her a distinct sense of oppression… She knew better than anyone that even though she had been caught off guard with a wide opening, the fact that he could severely injure her to this extent with a single sword strike meant that even if she had been at full power, it might not have been any different.
And this was after his sword light had been greatly weakened!
Yet Yun Che did not seize the opportunity to pursue, instead standing motionless in place. To her, this was certainly not confidence, but rather a kind of mockery and disdain.
She recalled Jun Wuming's recent warning… The Yun Che now was no longer the Yun Che of three days ago.
Jun Xilei's breathing was rapid, and Wuguang trembled slightly. But gradually, the trembling of the sword ceased, her breathing began to steady, and even the hatred in her eyes turned into a calm placidity.
In the end, Jun Xilei's pupils completely disappeared.
At the same time, the light suddenly dimmed, and the Feng Shen Platform became gloomy. Before the crowd's eyes, it seemed as if a vast starry sky had suddenly appeared. The starry sky devoured everything, leaving only Jun Xilei draped in a bright white moonlight. Then, countless stars emerged and shone. Jun Xilei stood proudly in the air like a celestial Moon Goddess surrounded by stars, her bloodstained white robes adding a touch of poignant beauty to her sacredness.
"Heartless Sword Domain… Yun Che, be careful!" Mu Bingyun murmured softly.
An icy pressure descended. Even outside the sword domain, many young profound practitioners felt their pupils trembling.
"That sword strike from Yun Che, which caught everyone off guard, wounded not only Jun Xilei's body but also her dignity. The Heartless Sword Domain's most important aspect is the unity of heart and sword, requiring one to first enter the 'heartless' state. Despite being doubly wounded, she still opened the Heartless Sword Domain in just a few breaths… Impressive." In the Glazed Light Realm, an elder sighed.
"Otherwise, why would Jun Wuming have chosen her as his successor?" Shui Qianheng said. "However, the fact that she opened the Heartless Sword Domain right from the start shows she was heavily injured and knew she couldn't prolong the battle."
"Although Jun Xilei is already injured and her aura is clearly much weaker… the Heartless Sword Domain was a challenge even for Luo Changsheng to handle with ease. And Luo Changsheng's master was Gu Xie Xianzi, who knew the method to deal with the Heartless Sword Domain. Can Yun Che really…"
"He can, he definitely can!" Shui Meiyin shouted forcefully.
"Hmph! Jun Xilei was willing to suffer severe injuries just to stab two holes in Luo Changsheng. Based on that sword strike just now, she could stab a hundred holes in Yun Che and it would still be light, hmph!" Shui Qianheng said irritably.
Within the sword domain, Yun Che faced the myriad stars. His figure was dim and insignificant, like a speck of dust that could be effortlessly erased at any moment. His expression turned serious, and he slowly held the Heaven-Defying Sword horizontally in front of him.
Jun Xilei's hand gesture shifted slightly.
In an instant, as if the sky light had burst, all the stars transformed into blinding sword lights that shot down toward Yun Che like a torrential rain.
Within the Heartless Sword Domain, everything became a sword, and every sword had a spirit. They would directly target their quarry, allowing only defense, not evasion.
Golden flames burned on Yun Che's body, and the Heaven-Defying Sword was also covered in golden flames. The surroundings were filled with endless sword lights and sword energy, like a sudden tempest of wind and rain. But he didn't even look, swinging his sword fiercely.
With a roar, an explosion of flame light burst within ten zhang of Yun Che. The sword might surged, and all the sword lights that approached the ten-zhang area directly shattered, turning into scattered remnants. But then, these remnants transformed into even more sword lights, growing more violent, stabbing straight at Yun Che.
Ten thousand sword lights could have sliced Yun Che into the finest fragments.
BOOM!!!
Yun Che's second sword struck forth at that moment. The newly formed sword lights shattered before they could even get close—and shattered even more thoroughly.
After Hong'er forcibly devoured the Golden Crow Sacred Sword, the Heaven-Defying Sword's weight and sword might had undergone a cataclysmic change. During the seven months Yun Che had spent at the bottom of the Burial God Fire Prison, refining the Phoenix Divine Blood and cultivating profound force had taken only a small portion of his time. The vast majority had been spent desperately trying to master the newly reborn Heaven-Defying Sword.
And after a full six months, he had finally barely managed to do so… and only under the most extreme "Heaven-Shattering" state. Otherwise, even the Purgatory state was utterly unmanageable, and normal state was absolutely impossible.
In this process, Yun Che's profound force had also been tempered to an incomparably solid state.
And the moment Yun Che could wield the reborn Heaven-Defying Sword, it also signified his own rebirth.
BOOM!! BOOM!! BOOM!! BOOM!! BOOM—
Within the Heartless Sword Domain, every speck of dust, every wisp of air could transform into a sword. Once ensnared within, it was like falling into a true ten-thousand-sword purgatory. But now, the sword domain was filled with dazzling flame light and surging sword might. No matter how sharp and endless the sword lights were, they were all shattered by Yun Che's swords, blow after blow.
The spectator stands fell silent. The sounds of sword lights piercing the air and sword might roaring drowned out everything. Under everyone's wide-eyed gazes, countless sword lights had already descended, each one carrying a terrifying aura that made the young profound practitioners tremble…
Yet, from start to finish, they had not managed to harm Yun Che in the slightest—not even getting close.
"Yun Che actually… held it off?"
"Not just held it off… It seems not even a single hair has been damaged so far. If it were me, I'd have died ten thousand times already… Tsk." The speaking young profound practitioner took a deep breath.
"That's the Heartless Sword Domain! Even Luo Changsheng was injured in it."
"Is it possible that Yun Che might actually defeat Jun Xilei?"
BOOM! BOOM! BOOOOM—
Every time Yun Che swung his sword, a dazzling flame light exploded on the Feng Shen Platform, illuminating countless stunned and terrified faces, accompanied by thunderous roars.
Both Jun Xilei and Yun Che used swords. Jun Xilei's sword was extremely sharp, capable of tearing and piercing everything, while Yun Che's sword was overwhelmingly fierce and domineering. Both used the sword as their medium, but they represented two different realms of power.
In the Heaven-Covering Realm's seating area, Lu Lengchuan, who had come specifically to watch, had already stood up. Despite his usually steady temperament, his pupils were now trembling, and his breathing was rapid.
His battle with Yun Che had been exhilarating and satisfying, and he had willingly admitted defeat without regret. But he had originally thought that he had personally witnessed Yun Che's full power. Yet today, Yun Che's profound force had only increased by a single minor realm, but the intensity of his aura was utterly incomparable to back then.
And each sword he swung carried a sword might so terrifying it made Lu Lengchuan feel suffocated, making him clearly realize that even if he exerted himself to the utmost, he could never withstand any single sword head-on.
And this was only after three short days… Even relying on the Time Wheel Barrier and the Time Wheel Pearl he had given Yun Che, it would still only be a few months at most.
"It seems that battle was destined to be the only one in my life where I was qualified to be his opponent," Lu Lengchuan murmured.
He was the son of the Realm King of the Heaven-Covering Realm, with an extremely high status. And Yun Che came from the lower realms, with a master from only a mid-grade star realm. But now, in Lu Lengchuan's eyes, Yun Che stood in a domain that required him to look up to even glimpse… and he would only grow further away from him.
"The future of this child—perhaps even the Divine Emperors dare not predict," sighed Lu Zhou, the Realm King of the Heaven-Covering Realm. "If he can defeat Jun Xilei in this battle, then… perhaps all four king realms will be competing to recruit him."
"Father, will Brother Yun really win?" Lu Lengchuan said in a low voice. "Although he has completely withstood the Heartless Sword Domain's attacks, he is also trapped within it, unable to escape. The slightest lapse and he will…"
"No," Lu Zhou shook his head. "Have you forgotten… Yun Che also has the Illusion God!"
BOOM!!!
As Lu Zhou's words fell, the flame light on the Feng Shen Platform exploded. Broken flames and shattered sword lights wildly shot in all directions. At the same time, a phoenix cry rang through the sky. A golden flame shadow flew out from the midst, pierced through layer after layer of sword lights, and heavily struck the Jun Xilei at the center of the sword domain.
A clump of golden flames instantly engulfed Jun Xilei's entire body.
Jun Xilei's whole body shook violently, and the Heartless Sword Domain trembled intensely. All the sword lights slowed for a moment. A flash of flame light flickered in Yun Che's eyes, and the fire abruptly surged to a hundred zhang high.
"Yellow Springs Ashes!"
BOOM—
It was as if a sun had exploded at the core. The Heartless Sword Domain instantly cracked open with several golden fissures. At the same time, the Golden Crow Illusory God's attack erupted, with another "Yellow Springs Ashes" unleashing ruthlessly centered on Jun Xilei's body.
BOOM!!
Jun Xilei's pupils regained their focus. Her whole body ablaze, she tumbled through the air like a withered leaf swept by a violent storm. The Heartless Sword Domain completely collapsed. All the stars simultaneously extinguished. In the fading remnants of light, Yun Che's figure, trailing a vermilion sword arc, plunged down like a meteor, heading straight for Jun Xilei.