Chapter 1236: Extreme Dragon Soul
Yun Che attacked continuously, and Luo Changsheng blocked them all with ease, as if it cost him no effort at all. And with just a slight counter-shock, Yun Che was directly wounded.
The two who had once fought a life-and-death battle now had one standing on an unreachable heavenly gate, all because of a single step from the Divine Spirit Realm to the Divine King Realm.
Luo Changsheng still did not move, nor did he pursue. He extended his hand toward Yun Che, his eyes narrowing into long slits: "Come, continue. Don't you have many tricks? Illusory God, Divine Flame Fusion, and that so-called Dragon Soul—use them all. Let me have a good look at how these methods of yours can struggle before the power of a Divine King."
"No... it's impossible to win. Even if he's a Divine King, how could the gap be so huge all at once?" Huo Poyun shook his head vigorously. "Since Luo Changsheng's strength has completely surpassed Brother Yun's, why doesn't he end it immediately? Is he trying to..."
"He clearly wants to defeat and humiliate Yun Che to the greatest extent possible." Huo Rulie frowned and gritted his teeth. "This kid really is someone who can't handle losing!"
"Luo Changsheng has the most illustrious family background, the most honorable status, the strongest master, and a heaven-gifted body that can cultivate three divine powers and three elements simultaneously. Among the younger generation of the Eastern Divine Region, he is an absolute supreme existence. But he was defeated by Yun Che, who was previously completely unknown and, in his eyes, of 'lowly' birth, right in front of the world..." Yan Juehai took a light breath. "This kid seems to have had his mentality shattered. His usual calm demeanor, gentleness, and politeness in the past might not have been due to good temperament and state of mind, but because he had never been trampled on before."
"Now that he has achieved the Divine King Realm, the frustration, humiliation, anger, and resentment that Yun Che brought him, he wants to repay a thousandfold to achieve psychological balance. Defeating Yun Che is now as easy as turning his hand, but he doesn't just want to defeat Yun Che—he wants to crush him completely, and he will stop at nothing to trample his dignity."
Huo Poyun was stunned. What Yan Juehai said could not overlap at all with the "Young Master Changsheng" in his impression.
"He won't succeed." Huo Rulie said. "Although that Yun kid has a tough backbone, he is also very smart. He won't insist on persisting and letting himself be humiliated when he knows there's no chance of victory."
"No," Mu Bingyun shook her head worriedly, a trace of pain flashing in her icy eyes. "Even if he knows Luo Changsheng's intentions, even if he knows he can't defeat Luo Changsheng, he will never be willing to admit defeat... On the contrary, he will do everything to hold on, desperately seeking even the slightest glimmer of hope."
Mu Bingyun's words left Huo Rulie and Yan Juehai stunned, full of confusion: "Why? Is there... some hidden reason?"
Mu Bingyun did not answer, nor could she answer. Her hands unconsciously tightened under her snow-white sleeves, and she whispered in her heart: Sister, if only you were here. Only you might be able to persuade him. But what should we do now...
Back when she brought him back to the Yin Xue Realm, the Voice of the Zhou Tian suddenly announced the restriction that the Xuan God Assembly required the Divine Tribulation Realm, plunging him into the abyss.
He crawled out of the abyss and finally arrived at the Xuan God Assembly, only to learn that he had to be one of the thousand "Heaven-Chosen Sons" to enter the Zhou Tian Realm.
He did not hesitate to violate his principles, resorting to cheating methods he had previously despised, daring to risk the wrath of the Zhou Tian Realm, and finally forced his way into the Zhou Tian Realm... only to learn that only by being the first in the God-Sealing Platform could he see her.
A goal that would make anyone despair, yet he still did not give up. He trampled the proud prodigies, defeated the Divine Sons, and fought his way to the championship battle. To defeat Luo Changsheng, he did not hesitate to risk his life.
These cruel jokes of fate, each more merciless and despairing than the last, he had overcome them all. No one could imagine how much he had experienced and paid in this process. And Mu Bingyun was absolutely certain of one thing: in this world, no one else could have done it except him.
Now, finally, only the last half-step remained... and Luo Changsheng achieved the Divine King Realm overnight.
At this point, how could Yun Che be willing to give up?
Mu Bingyun's heart tightened. For the first time, she felt a strong resentment toward the ruthlessness of fate... Even when she herself had been poisoned by the Flood Dragon toxin for a thousand years, she had never felt so strongly.
He left his homeland and came to the Divine Realm, just to see one person. For this wish so small it bordered on humble, he had already paid far too much, too much... Why did fate have to torment him so cruelly time and time again!
On the Feng Shen Platform, Yun Che straightened his body. There was no fear in his eyes, only a constantly gathering viciousness.
Without a word, Yun Che's body simultaneously ignited two kinds of flames: Golden Crow Flame on the left, Phoenix Flame on the right. Under the convergence of his will, they slowly fused together, radiating an increasingly dense crimson light.
Just then, a flash of sinister light suddenly flickered in Luo Changsheng's pupils, and his figure seemed to tremble faintly.
BOOM!!!!
Luo Changsheng's figure vanished, appearing in front of Yun Che like a ghost. His palm pressed against Yun Che's chest, and a violent storm force exploded fiercely on Yun Che's chest.
Luo Changsheng's speed was already extremely fast. After achieving the Divine King Realm, with the support of the storm, it became even faster to the extreme. This instantaneous movement caught Yun Che, who was concentrating on fusion, completely off guard. Even the watching Divine Sons like Shui Yingyue and Lu Lengchuan could not clearly see how Luo Changsheng had appeared before Yun Che.
Amid the deafening sound, Yun Che sprayed a mist of blood and was sent flying far away. The Golden Crow Flame and Phoenix Flame both extinguished simultaneously. When Yun Che crashed heavily to the ground, there was no longer a trace of fire light on his body.
Yun Che propped himself up with his arms, spitting out more than a dozen mouthfuls of fresh blood. His complexion turned from crimson to pale, his entire qi and blood churning chaotically like a boiling volcano, and his internal organs had all shifted out of place.
"Ah, I've suddenly changed my mind." Luo Changsheng's arrogant voice came, tinged with pleasure. "But don't misunderstand. It's not that I'm afraid of your red flame, but I want to tell you something."
"In front of me, you are now nothing more than a pitiful plaything at my mercy. If I want you to use a certain power, you can use it. If I don't want you to, then you'll never get to use it. Understand?"
"Or," Luo Changsheng slowly pointed downward with his finger, "you can also admit defeat and surrender in front of me right now. After all, although being a defeated dog is ugly, at least you'll suffer a lot less pain. Don't you think?"
"..." Yun Che gritted his teeth fiercely.
"Bastard!" Luo Shangchen slammed the table and stood up, his face shrouded in anger. "Changsheng, you..."
"Let him vent!" Before Luo Shangchen could finish his words, Luo Guxie forcefully stopped him. "Can't you see that losing to Yun Che was a huge blow to him? If you don't let him vent it out, it might give rise to inner demons later."
"This is not a matter of inner demons!" Luo Shangchen said angrily. "Changsheng has always been gentle and refined. For him to lose control like this today—are you trying to make the people of the Eastern Divine Region think that my Luo Shangchen's son is actually a narrow-minded, vicious, and despicable person?"
"Hmph!" Luo Guxie's tone suddenly turned cold. "Luo Shangchen, although Changsheng is your son, I have been by his side since his birth. You, as the lofty Saint Universe Realm King, aside from occasionally praising or reprimanding him a few words, have you ever shown him any deep concern? Do you truly understand him at all?"
"I..." Luo Shangchen was momentarily speechless.
"I don't care at all about the Saint Universe Realm, but my understanding of Changsheng surpasses yours a hundredfold. Changsheng acting like this is also my instruction. This will only benefit his future mindset in the Xuan Dao. No need for your interference!"
Luo Shangchen's mouth twitched. After a long silence, he slowly sat down and did not utter another word, but his brows remained tightly furrowed.
Yun Che certainly knew that Luo Changsheng was deliberately provoking him, not letting him surrender immediately. But Luo Changsheng's actions were superfluous. Yun Che had never thought of surrendering—from beginning to end, not for a single moment.
In his mind, there was only winning... he must win...
No matter what... no matter what method...
He must win!!
Yun Che slowly stood up. Although his entire body was in excruciating pain, he used every ounce of his will to keep his mind clear.
There must be a way... there must be some way.
Think carefully... what methods can I still use... what trump cards do I have left?
Moon-Waning Star-Returning? No... Even if it's Luo Changsheng's full-force attack, reflecting it back would only injure him at most, and it would expose my most important life-saving trump card to the entire Divine Realm.
Ice Flame? Perhaps it could severely wound him, but the fusion time of dozens of breaths makes it impossible to achieve.
Illusory God, Crimson Flame...
None of them work! Luo Changsheng's profound power has reached an entirely different level. No matter what method, it's fundamentally impossible to defeat him... not even a tiny possibility.
But...
Yun Che slowly raised his gaze, his heart beating extraordinarily violently.
To win this championship battle, he didn't necessarily have to defeat Luo Changsheng.
If he could hurl him off the Feng Shen Platform, that would also count as a direct victory!
Yun Che's gaze gradually solidified... Defeating Luo Changsheng, who had achieved the Divine King Realm, was absolutely impossible. The only possibility and hope was to knock him off the three-hundred-mile Feng Shen Platform.
The change in Yun Che's eyes was caught by Luo Changsheng. He curled his lips and said slowly, "Are you thinking about how to lure me to the edge of the Feng Shen Platform and then use some method to knock me down... like that Dragon Soul that can cause a person's will to collapse?"
Yun Che's gaze froze: "..."
"Tsk, tsk, tsk," Luo Changsheng clapped his hands slowly. "To think you're still figuring out how to beat me even now—truly admirable. It's a pity you don't seem to have heard the saying: 'In the face of absolute power, any strategy or trick is nothing but a joke.'"
"However, I strongly suggest you give it a try. After all..." Luo Changsheng's eyes lifted, radiating a look of utmost contempt. "That would make it more fun!"
Yun Che said nothing. He summoned the Heaven-Defying Sword back into his hand, his eyes dark and fierce, and said coldly, "You want to play? Then I'll play with you to the fullest!"
With a sharp explosion, Yun Che, disregarding his injuries entirely, erupted with his profound energy once more and smashed his sword straight at Luo Changsheng's head.
"Pathetic struggle." Luo Changsheng chuckled softly, reaching out to grab the Heaven-Defying Sword directly, his hand swirling with storm force. This time, he was not just defending with his hand—he wanted to seize the Heaven-Defying Sword.
But Yun Che flashed with icy light, using Moon-Breaking Shadow Flick to abruptly shift his position. A dragon shadow appeared behind him, and a pale blue dragon eye opened in the sky, releasing a heaven-shaking dragon roar:
Dragon Soul Domain!
ROAR!!!!
Beneath the dragon's roar, the very heavens and earth trembled.
Luo Changsheng had just contemptuously uttered the words "Dragon Soul," utterly convinced that with his current Divine King Soul, there was absolutely no way his will would collapse under the sudden release of Yun Che's dragon soul, as it had last time.
But the tyranny of the Dragon God's Soul was beyond his understanding.
Under the heaven-shaking dragon roar, Luo Changsheng's pupils instantly lost their color, and all contempt turned into trembling fear. Yun Che's sword ignited with flames, his momentum surged again, and he slammed straight at Luo Changsheng's head.
"Urgh..." Luo Changsheng groaned in fear. His remaining consciousness seemed to sense the approach of danger, and he instinctively reached out to block...
BANG!!
Luo Changsheng's outstretched arm was directly knocked aside. The Heaven-Defying Sword, condensed with Yun Che's utmost power, smashed heavily against Luo Changsheng's head. A burst of flame exploded fiercely, centered on his head.
Luo Changsheng: This wave of showing off feels so good! My mouth is practically tingling with satisfaction! This is the kind of treatment only a protagonist gets... Hmm? Could it be that I am the protagonist!?