As Li Hao, the strongest sixteen year old in the Profound Department got so easily beaten by an opponent of the same age, Xia Yuanba vigorously gritted his teeth in secret. He hated how his profound strength was meager; let alone recover face for Li Hao and New Moon Profound Palace, he didn't even have the qualifications to challenge Xuan Yu. But he had never thought that Xuan Yu would actually direct the spear head at him. Looking at Xuan Yu's fingertips, Xia Yuanba's eyes widened, and instantly became stupefied.
Also, this Xuan Yu actually called him "Big-framed Senior Brother"!
All the gazes concentrated onto Yuanba's body at once. All the elders in New Moon Profound Palace suddenly knitted their brows greatly, and the disciples were also struck dumb. None of them had expected that Xuan Yu would challenge Xia Yuanba, who was actually only fifteen years old, and only came to to spectate! Although, with that astonishing figure of Xia Yuanba, it really was impossible for people who wasn't familiar with him to know that he was only fifteen. Even mistaking him as being eighteen or nineteen would be normal.
Sikong Han spoke up: "This is my Palace disciple Xia Yuanba. However, you shouldn't call him Senior Brother. Although his build is excessively burly, he's still only fifteen this year, and is the youngest in my Palace."
"Fifteen… years old?" Many people from the seven profound sects almost sprayed out the tea in their mouth. Xuan Yu had also immediately became flabbergasted.
"Yuanba, since this Profound Heart Sect disciple wants to spar with you, you should calmly accept the challenge." Sikong Han turned around and said: "You are younger in age, so there is no need to be ashamed even if you lose, just do your best."
"Yes, Elder." Xia Yuanba nodded and stood up. As the huge body that neared two meters and thirty centimeters stood up, many people in the palace were immediately taken aback. Yun Che tapped him once, and said in a low voice: "Be careful, don't get injured."
"Hehe, don't worry. Even though my profound strength is no good, my body is still really tough." Xia Yuanba tapped his chest with confidence and walked to the center of the Main Palace. He stood in front of Xuan Yu and spoke: "My name is Xia Yuanba, from Profound Department Class One, fifteen this year, please give me your guidance."
Xuan Yu clearly had wanted to challenge someone older to show off, but didn't expect the "giant" he chose that looked eighteen, was actually only fifteen years old! A sixteen year old fighting against a fifteen year old, there wouldn't be any glory to talk about even if he had won. As he arbitrarily measured the opponent's profound power, the corner of his mouth instantly twitched a bit…. Only the sixth level of the Elementary Profound Realm! Choosing an opponent like this, it was virtually degrading his social status.
"That fool! I knew something would happen if he attended this banquet! If we let others know about that even someone at the sixth level of Elementary Profound Realm could enter as an elite disciple, wouldn't we become a huge laughing stock! Hmph, what a disgrace!"
A low disdainful sneer filled with contempt slowly traveled into Yun Che's ears. Yun Che's gaze peered off to the side, apathetically glanced at Murong Ye, then he retracted his gaze and concentrated onto Xia Yuanba's figure.
Murong Ye who had just shut his trap suddenly felt a chill, and his entire body violently shook a bit. He panickly turned around and checked the surroundings while his heart palpitated like crazy…. Just a moment ago, he felt as if he suddenly dropped into a extremely cold ice hole?, and also felt as if a terrifying viper had locked him down with its eyes. But no matter where he looked, he couldn't find any abnormalities in his surroundings. The flash of that frightening feeling had also started to die down. Murong Ye touched the cold sweat on his forehead, that had been formed who knows when, and genuinely thought that he was just being paranoid.
"HAAH! Cutting Mountains Splitting Boulders!
Xia Yuanba struck first; with both of his hands clenched into fists, his enormous body leaped up and violently crashed down. Adding his body together with that intangible sense of pressure, it really had some kind of resemblance to "Cutting Mountains Splitting Boulders.".
"He actually had the face to show off such a trashy Profound Skill. If Xuan Yu lets him use more than three moves before defeating him, he'll never have the face to meet anyone outside again!" Sneered a senior disciple of Profound Heart Sect.
When faced with the enormous force of Xia Yuanba's attack, Xuan Yu didn't attempt to dodge at all, and didn't even assume a Profound Skill's pose. He simply raised his right arm horizontally while standing in place, and plainly blocked toward Xia Yuanba's heavy strike that appeared to be extremely ferocious. The corner of his lips revealed a faint smile of disdain….
With a dull sound, both of Xia Yuanba's fists violently smashed onto Xuan Yu's arm. Xuan Yu's forearm sank a little, then suddenly flipped upwards like a snake that just had awoken, and immediately locked both of Xia Yuanba's robust arms between his forearm and upper arm. Then, his profound energy abruptly flared up.
*Ka-Cha!!*
"UWAAAA!!"
"Yuanba!" Yun Che immediately stood up.
In the wake of Xia Yuanba's scream of agony, both of his arms were dislocated in an instant. Xuan Yu swung out his arm, and actually managed to throw Xia Yuanba's body that weighed over one hundred seventy-five kilos upwards, for over a meter.
Normally, a "spar" should have ended here. Xia Yuanba's defeat after a single move, was a result that wasn't out of anyone's expectations. A powerful foundation, profound arts, and profound skills, allowed Xuan Yu to defeat someone who was only one level lower with just two maneuvers; not to mention Xia Yuanba who was only at the sixth level of Elementary Profound Realm. However, when Xia Yuanba's body was still in the air and about to heavily fall to the ground, the corner of Xuan Yu's mouth suddenly formed into a shady grin, as his right fist flashed with a purple light.
Yun Che immediately detected Xuan Yu's intent, and promptly shouted: "Stop!!"
But how would Xuan Yu listen to him; an unrestrained Purple Cloud Palm violently smashed onto Xia Yuanba's body that was just about to hit the ground.
The sound of at least three ribs breaking clearly resounded.
"Yuanba!!!!"
Not caring about anything else, Yun Che jumped over next to Yuanba's body with a single leap, and supported his falling body. As Xia Yuanba touched the ground, his complexion had already become ghastly white; blood flowed out from the corner of his mouth, and his face was twisted because of the intense pain. Although Xia Yuanba's body appeared to be robust, his protective profound energy was still too weak; it was impossible for him to endure Xuan Yu's heavy strike.
Yun Che looked at Xuan Yu; his eyes filled with rage, as he spoke with a livid face: "This competition is only a sparring session, the match is finished when the victor is obvious. The victor was clear just now, why would you still strike him that heavily!"
"Heh!" Xuan Yu made a sneer of disdain: "It's true that it was a spar, but swords are without eyes, and fists are hard to restrain; this is a principle that anyone would know. There are even occasions where lives are lost because of the difficulty of holding back during spars; it's normal to receive a little bit of injury. How could I have known that your New Moon Profound Palace's elite disciples were this fragile; bones broke and spewing blood just from one or two moves. You guys aren't blaming yourselves for your uselessness, but instead criticize me?"
"Haha, what Junior Brother Xuan Yu said is too right."
"During spars between our fellow apprentices, breaking a few bones is only a common occurrence; that's what you call a real spar. New Moon Profound Palace can't even handle a little injury; no wonder it had always been incompetent, tsktsk…"
"If I were to say, little brother Xuan Yu was already merciful enough. If little brother Xuan Yu had used all of his strength, with just that sixth level of Elementary Profound Realm's protective profound energy, would that brat even be alive right now?"
Ear-piercing voices of mockery came from the seven sects' side. New Moon Profound Palace's elders could only shake their head and sigh helplessly. Yun Che's deep rage made him reveal a smile instead; he carried Xia Yuanba next to Lan Xueruo who was the closest to him: "Senior Sister Xueruo, may I trouble you to look after Yuanba."
"Okay!" Lan Xueruo hastily walked down, took out a pearl-white medicinal pellet and fed it into Xia Yuanba's mouth. As she raised her head, she discovered that Yun Che had already stood up and walked toward Xuan Yu.
"What a great 'swords are without eyes, and fists are hard to restrain'." Yun Che stood in front of Xuan Yu, and his face had already become impeccably calm. He stared at this person who dared to maliciously injure Xia Yuanba in front of him, and spoke with an indifferent tone: "You better remember this sentence you had just said… Next, I'll be your opponent! Yun Che, Profound Department Class One, sixteen years old!
"Who is this youth? While only sixteen, he's already at first level of the Nascent Profound Realm, and the thickness of his profound energy is even a little higher than Li Hao. Why haven't I seen him before?"
"There's no need to think too much, he's definitely a disciple in our Profound Department. He is my old friend's grandson, and had just joined us today at noon." Sikong Han explained to the other elders. However his expression was full of concern. Although Yun Che's profound energy was slightly stronger than Li Hao, it was only by a little bit, and wouldn't make much of a difference. Li Hao was heavily wounded facing Xuan Yu, which meant that there shouldn't be a different result with Yun Che; at most, he would be able to endure a few more rounds. If he let Yun Che be injured right as he joined the Profound Department, he wouldn't be able to face Xiao Lie. However, in this kind of situation, the person being challenged must accept the challenge, and it's even harder to stop the challenger that stood out. He could only watch with open eyes, and pray that Yun Che doesn't get too severe of an injury.
"Brother-in-law…. Be careful! He… He's too strong…." Xia Yuanba said in a painful voice as he held onto his chest.
Xuan Yu froze for a bit when he heard Yun Che's statement, and then started laughing as if he had heard the funniest joke in the world: "Ahahahaha, don't tell me that you're trying to warn me? Threaten me? An eye for an eye? Haha… Hahahaha! With just you? Hahahaha…."
Although Xuan Yu's laugh was unbridled and harsh to the ear, there were no one that felt his laugh was presumptuous and baseless. Only after laughing for a long while, did he finally say with contempt: "Tsk tsk, I didn't expect that in New Moon Profound Palace's sixteen year-olds, there is actually someone that can be matched with Li Hao. This kind of level in New Moon City is actually quite good, but it's too bad that you've met me today. Since you had the guts to challenge me, how about I give you an advantage?"
Xuan Yu slowly extended five fingers and shook them in front of Yun Che: "Five moves! If you can cross five moves with me, you'll be considered as the winner of this spar, how about it?"
"Hahahaha, Junior Brother Xuan Yu, you're thinking too highly of him." A wave of laughter erupted from the side of Profound Heart Sect.
The main seat of this banquet, Qin Wuyou who didn't speak at all since the beginning of the "Exchange of Pointers" finally had some shifts in expression. He silently looked at Yun Che's gaze that didn't waver in the slightest under Xuan Yu's laughter and mocking, and exclaimed in his heart: This little fellow, is not simple by any means.
"Are you finished with your nonsense?" Yun Che coldly spoke.
"Oh! Your name was…. Uh, Yun Che, right? Don't just stand there; if you want to start, then come attack me any time, at least you'll get to attack once that way. If I strike first, you may not even have a chance to strike anymore." Xuan Yu said with a grin as he crossed his arms in front of his chest.
"Heh," Yun Che also laughed. He didn't say a word more; all of a sudden, his body lunged forward as his left hand extended forward, and grabbed straight for Xuan Yu's neck.
"What? You don't even have any profound skills?" Xuan Yu's laugh became even more mocking. His eyes half-narrowed, and only until Yun Che's arm was just two feet away from his face, did he start to move; his right hand shot out like a lightning, grabbed toward Yun Che's left wrist, and precisely caught his left hand in the palm of his hand….
A trace of a shady grin flashed in the corner of Xuan Yu's mouth. Just as he was about to channel his profound energy to snap Yun Che's wrist, the palm of his hand that had clearly caught Yun Che's wrist instead felt empty…. His five fingers passed through Yun Che's wrist, and fiercely grabbed the empty space! As for Yun Che's body, it had also disappeared, as if turned into mist.
At the same time, a strong gust of wind came from his right side. With his mind still boggled, how could he even react….
"PAA!!"
A incomparably loud sound of a slap to the face resounded throughout every corner of the Main Palace. Everyone had clearly heard it; the sound was so distinctive, it was as if their own face had been slapped. The entirety of Xuan Yu was sent flying, and finally heavily crashed onto the ground after spinning a full one thousand four hundred and forty degrees in midair.
For this slap, Yun Che didn't holding back a single ounce of his strength. He rubbed the back of his hand that became a little red on his clothes with disgust, and spoke indifferently: "First move."