# Chapter 1570: One Against Ten
Whoosh——
The central battlefield instantly erupted into a hubbub. They had just heard the most baffling and utterly incomprehensible words in the history of the central battlefield battles.
The last profound practitioner of Southern Phoenix, facing all of Northern Cold, Eastern Wasteland, and Western Wasteland!?
Although Yun Che had stunned the entire audience, the three sects still had a full ten profound practitioners who could fight! And every single one who could enter the three sects' battle formation was a powerful peak Divine King!
Even though Yun Che had won the previous two matches overwhelmingly, and even though he still had plenty of strength left, one against ten... that was just too ridiculous!
Either Southern Phoenix Chanyi had gone mad, or... it was a deceptive feint.
"Chanyi, what in the world are you messing around with today!?" Southern Phoenix Mofeng was practically exploding with rage, unable to endure any longer.
"Mofeng," the Southern Phoenix Divine Lord said in a low voice, "Do not speak further. Just watch quietly."
"...!" Southern Phoenix Mofeng's gaze darted chaotically between the Southern Phoenix Divine Lord and Southern Phoenix Chanyi. He stopped speaking, but he absolutely could not calm down.
"Hahahaha," the Western Wasteland Divine Lord laughed loudly: "Southern Phoenix, could your daughter have lost her mind?"
This wasn't purely sarcasm either—everything Southern Phoenix Chanyi did today was extremely abnormal, completely different from her reputation, and utterly inconsistent with her status and position. From the moment she publicly rejected Northern Cold Chu, some had suspected she might truly be mad.
"Meaning you don't dare?" Southern Phoenix Chanyi said softly.
"No, it's that your Southern Phoenix is unworthy," the Eastern Wasteland Divine Lord said solemnly. "What kind of beings are our three sects' profound practitioners? Let alone ten, even if it were..."
"Ah!" The Northern Cold Divine Lord suddenly raised his hand and spoke at this moment, interrupting the Eastern Wasteland Divine Lord's words, and said slowly: "My three sects sending ten profound practitioners to fight one of your Southern Phoenix—such an absurd and laughable statement, you actually managed to say it. If I truly agreed, regardless of the outcome, it would be a form of self-humiliation for my three sects' profound practitioners."
The Northern Cold Divine Lord was correct. Three sects sending ten to fight one? How degrading was that! Even if they accepted, the ten selected peak Divine Kings would probably rather defy orders than agree.
"Southern Phoenix Crown Princess, you must think I would absolutely never agree." The Northern Cold Divine Lord suddenly laughed, his smile exceptionally dangerous and sardonic: "No, no, no. I'm very interested in this proposal! Agree, I must agree!"
The Eastern Wasteland Divine Lord and Western Wasteland Divine Lord both frowned deeply. They looked at the Northern Cold Divine Lord but said nothing. They knew the Northern Cold Divine Lord must have his reasons for doing so.
"..." Faced with the Northern Cold Divine Lord's words, Southern Phoenix Chanyi suddenly fell silent, momentarily without any response.
"However, since the Southern Phoenix Crown Princess calls it a 'bet,' there should be some stakes involved, right?" The Northern Cold Divine Lord said with a beaming smile.
The Eastern Wasteland Divine Lord and Western Wasteland Divine Lord's eyes suddenly lit up.
"...It seems the Northern Cold Realm King has already thought of the stakes. Feel free to speak your mind." Southern Phoenix Chanyi spoke, her tone unchanged, but everyone could faintly sense that her words carried less momentum than before. And when she spoke, there was a half-instant hesitation.
"Very simple. If your Southern Phoenix can defeat my Southern Phoenix's one with a single person..." The Northern Cold Divine Lord's smile widened: "Then your Southern Phoenix would naturally be the champion of this central battlefield battle. Besides the four central battlefield points you deserve, my Northern Cold City is willing to immediately give our four points—oh no, no, it's three points of central battlefield territory—to your Southern Phoenix as a gift."
Pfft...
Before the Northern Cold Divine Lord had even finished speaking, countless people directly burst out laughing.
Even the Western Wasteland Divine Lord and the Eastern Wasteland Divine Lord, whose son had just been crippled, couldn't help their mouths twitching.
One against ten... and against ten peak Divine Kings! If that could be won, they'd be willing to eat shit!
"But if your Southern Phoenix loses," the Northern Cold Divine Lord narrowed his eyes, a half-smile on his face: "We won't force your Southern Phoenix to hand over your pitiful bit of central battlefield territory. We only ask that you... Southern Phoenix Crown Princess, return to the Nine Radiance Heavenly Palace with my son!"
"Not as wife or concubine, but as a maidservant for a hundred years!"
Boom—unsurprisingly, the noise erupted again.
Earlier, the Northern Cold Divine Lord wouldn't have spoken such words. But since Southern Phoenix Chanyi had taken the initiative to forcefully tear apart their relationship and stupidly offered such an opportunity, why would he be "polite"?
When Southern Phoenix Chanyi publicly rejected Northern Cold Chu, it had undoubtedly dealt a heavy blow to Northern Cold Chu's face, making him look very bad. Now, seizing the opportunity Southern Phoenix Chanyi had delivered herself, a single word—"maidservant"—was a powerful retaliation.
He was also telling Southern Phoenix publicly: You didn't appreciate the only chance you had, and you keep offending us! Now, you're only fit to be a maidservant!
His gaze turned to Southern Phoenix Chanyi. Something that should have been absolutely impossible to agree to had been readily accepted by the Northern Cold Divine Lord... but accompanied by stakes that could be considered deserved!
Eyes fell upon Southern Phoenix Chanyi once more. The Northern Cold Divine Lord's move was quite vicious, leaving Southern Phoenix Chanyi unable to either agree or refuse... If she agreed, after defeat she would become Northern Cold Chu's maidservant; if she refused, she would undoubtedly slap her own face and utterly disgrace the Southern Phoenix Divine Kingdom.
Southern Phoenix Chanyi spoke: "Northern Cold Realm King, don't you think your stakes are too ridiculous?"
An unsurprising response. The Northern Cold Divine Lord directly threw his head back and laughed heartily: "Hahaha! What's this? Scared? You proposed this yourself, and now you've lost your nerve? Is this the shame and dignity of your Southern Phoenix Divine Kingdom?"
"Northern Cold Realm King, you seem to have misunderstood something." Southern Phoenix Chanyi said leisurely: "When did I say I was scared?"
"If you want to set the stakes, that should be up to you. But what right do you have to decide what stakes I want?"
"Oh?" The Northern Cold Divine Lord smiled warmly: "Well said. Then let this king hear, just how much stake is your Southern Phoenix Chanyi's hundred years worth?"
"Even your entire Northern Wasteland Realm isn't enough to match it." Southern Phoenix Chanyi said slowly: "But since it's a stake, there must be a price, and it can only be a price you can afford. Since that's the case, I'll have to reluctantly..."
"If my Southern Phoenix wins! Not only Northern Cold City, but also the central battlefield territories belonging to the Eastern Wasteland Sect and Western Wasteland Sect will all belong to my Southern Phoenix!"
"And not for fifty years, but five hundred!"
The Northern Cold Divine Lord's brows sharply furrowed, then immediately relaxed. Hearing the first half of Southern Phoenix Chanyi's words, he knew she was definitely going to propose something enormously huge, something he couldn't possibly accept, hoping to scare him—something like "die on the spot" or "let your Northern Cold Divine Lord enter Southern Phoenix as a slave."
Five hundred years of all central battlefield territory belonging to Southern Phoenix—that was indeed a huge stake. If it were actually realized, it would allow Southern Phoenix to rapidly rise under abundant resources, while the other three realms would weaken from losing central battlefield resources.
But such a stake was far from enough to scare him, let alone being "absolutely unacceptable."
In the end, she was just a royal princess with less than five sixty-year cycles of experience and a clearly abnormal mind.
"Excellent! Of course there's no problem!" Before Southern Phoenix Chanyi's voice had even fully faded, the Northern Cold Divine Lord had already agreed without a hint of hesitation or delay. He glanced left and right: "Brother Eastern Wasteland, Brother Western Wasteland, do you have any objections?"
"Hehe, since our three sects are going up together, the stakes should naturally include our share," the Western Wasteland Divine Lord said with a smile.
"No objections!" the Eastern Wasteland Divine Lord likewise had no hesitation.
Although it seemed they wouldn't gain anything tangible if they won, they would implicitly be sending a huge favor to Northern Cold City, and more importantly, to Northern Cold Chu! Why would they refuse!
"Good!" The Northern Cold Divine Lord nodded: "So, does your Southern Phoenix have anything else to say?"
What did it mean to be unable to back down? Southern Phoenix Chanyi had actively proposed fighting one against ten, and had actively proposed new stakes, all of which the Northern Cold Divine Lord had accepted without hesitation. Now Southern Phoenix Chanyi had no retreat left... Looking at the suddenly predatory expressions of the Northern Cold Divine Lord, Eastern Wasteland Divine Lord, and Western Wasteland Divine Lord, Southern Phoenix probably couldn't even retreat while losing all face.
"Good!" Southern Phoenix Chanyi likewise nodded: "Let's not waste more time on this already laughable central battlefield battle. Three Realm Kings, you may now choose your combatants."
The Northern Cold Divine Lord smiled faintly, turned his body, and his aura directly settled on five people: "You five, come and experience the grace of this Southern Phoenix Divine King together."
"Yes!" Five peak Divine Kings answered simultaneously.
If it were a pure battle, fighting with numerical superiority, their dignity as peak Divine Kings would make it difficult to accept. But now, the Northern Cold Divine Lord had twisted it into a joke with a few words. After trampling this Southern Phoenix profound practitioner, they could also force Southern Phoenix Chanyi to become Northern Cold Chu's maidservant for a hundred years. What psychological burden would they have?
But throughout all this, one person—a very central person—had never been consulted about his opinion.
Yun Che turned slightly in the center of the battlefield. He cast a sidelong glance and transmitted to Southern Phoenix Chanyi: "Using me as a weapon!?"
His tone was stiff and cold, carrying a soul-piercing warning.
"This was my impromptu decision, and I didn't ask you, which is indeed unfair to you. But... you specifically came to participate in the central battlefield battle and chose me, so you must have something you seek! Since you have sufficient ability, why not earn more benefits at the same time?"
"Just afraid you won't be able to pay up!"
"I definitely can pay!"
"..." When Yun Che's gaze turned back, ten powerful auras had already appeared before him.
Ten peak Divine Kings who had entered the central battlefield battle formation! Five from the Northern Wasteland Realm, three from the Western Wasteland Realm, two from the Eastern Wasteland Realm.
These people were either core existences of the Realm King sects or absolute overlords of their realms. Any one of them had a fearsome reputation throughout the Five Wasteland Realms.
The battles in the central battlefield were all peak Divine King battles, most of them extremely intense. Aside from the extremely rare Divine Lords, they represented the true pinnacle battles of the Five Wasteland Realms.
But ten peak Divine Kings fighting simultaneously, with only one opponent—a Divine King who was half a major realm weaker than any of them, a Level Five Divine King...
Such a scene—let alone the central battlefield battle—they had never seen in their entire lives.
Southern Phoenix Divine Kingdom—this was truly a spectacular way to court death.
"Chanyi..." The Southern Phoenix Divine Lord could no longer remain seated. He stood and walked to Southern Phoenix Chanyi's side, speaking in a low voice.
"Father, rest assured." Southern Phoenix Chanyi said in a voice only the Southern Phoenix Divine Lord could hear: "Though it sounds utterly incredible, before this person, these ten Divine Kings are nothing but a pack of stray dogs."
"..." The Southern Phoenix Divine Lord's brows twitched violently, and his lips moved repeatedly, but he didn't ask further.
Ten peak Divine Kings facing one Level Five Divine King—a scene both impactful and absurd—was momentarily frozen on the central battlefield. The Northern Cold Divine Lord stepped forward several paces and announced clearly: "Since Southern Phoenix dares to propose such a battle formation, they must be full of confidence. It seems the following will certainly be a spectacular and exceptionally fierce epic battle."
This sarcastic remark drew laughter from countless people.
"Additionally, this is also a battle of stakes. If my three sects are defeated, then for the next five hundred years, the entire central battlefield realm will belong to the Southern Phoenix Divine Kingdom, and my Northern Wasteland, Eastern Wasteland, and Western Wasteland realms shall not set foot within it."
"But if my three sects are fortunate enough to win, then you, Southern Phoenix Crown Princess, shall serve as a maidservant beside the young master of the Sword Vault Palace of the Nine Radiance Heavenly Palace, Northern Cold Chu, for a hundred years. Within that hundred years, you shall not leave. This battle and its stakes—all present are witnesses!"
He turned and bowed toward the honored seat where Northern Cold Chu and the not-yet-ascended incumbent sat: "Young Palace Master, this battle's stakes involve the central battlefield realm, and thus also belong to the central battlefield battle. I request that you also serve as a witness."
"Very well." Northern Cold Chu lightly nodded: "The process and outcome of this battle—I, Northern Cold Chu, witness on behalf of the Nine Radiance Heavenly Palace! If there are rule-breakers or those who violate the wager, the Nine Radiance Heavenly Palace will also impose sanctions."
Northern Cold Chu rarely spoke and never offered any biased suggestions or opinions, always maintaining the posture of a purely neutral witness.
But his words, as witness statements spoken from the standpoint of the Nine Radiance Heavenly Palace, nailed the matter tight and sealed off the Southern Phoenix Divine Kingdom's final trace of retreat.
"With thanks to the Young Palace Master." The Northern Cold Divine Lord bowed with a smile. When he turned around, his expression hardened, and he swept his arm: "Begin the battle!"