The crowd in the square felt the pressure and their expressions shifted slightly. This Li Quan was indeed a top expert among the inner sect elites; the power of that punch was something few on the field could withstand. Even an ordinary peak Condensation Whirl cultivator might not be able to endure it. As for Lin Xuan, though his aura and cultivation level were unclear, he clearly hadn’t reached the Condensation Whirl stage. Everyone’s gaze converged on Lin Xuan, waiting for his move, eager to see if his displayed strength matched the rumors.
On the arena. Facing Li Quan’s ferocious punch, Lin Xuan remained indifferent, his expression unchanged. Just as the force of the punch was about to strike, Lin Xuan acted. He reached out and caught the incoming fist. It looked like he intended to block it, yet he used no martial technique and exuded no momentum. Watching this, the inner sect disciples below were stunned again. They hadn’t expected Lin Xuan to choose such a method—directly catching Li Quan’s full-power punch with his palm. Even the peak Condensation Whirl elites among the inner sect wouldn’t dare do that, right? Otherwise, they’d risk a broken arm. But Lin Xuan, an ordinary inner sect disciple at the Qi Transformation stage, had done it. This shocked everyone deeply. Was Lin Xuan so bold because he had the strength, or was he just showing off? The crowd grew even more expectant.
The next moment, under everyone’s watchful eyes, fist and palm met. Bang! A deafening explosion rang out. A terrifying shockwave, visible as ripples, spread outward. It sent many inner sect disciples flying off the square. Their hearts trembled—just that shockwave alone was extraordinary. The strength of these two was terrifyingly formidable! Their gazes returned to the arena. There, under Li Quan’s full-force punch, Lin Xuan hadn’t taken a single step back, his expression still calm, having caught it with his palm. The crowd stared, wide-eyed and frozen, unable to believe it. But what happened next shocked them even more.
On the arena. Seeing that his full-power punch had been so easily caught by Lin Xuan, Li Quan’s pupils contracted, and his heart jolted. He realized the rumors he’d heard were true. In fact, Lin Xuan was even stronger and more monstrous than the rumors suggested. Because even many Condensation Whirl cultivators might not withstand that punch, with its true qi circulation and explosive force. Yet Lin Xuan had done it, and with a casual demeanor. It was telling. Li Quan gained some understanding of Lin Xuan’s talent and felt a sense of wariness. At the same time, his battle intent surged! Lin Xuan’s strength far exceeded his previous opponents, perfect for a satisfying fight. Even losing wouldn’t matter. Li Quan prepared to withdraw his fist and strike again. But then, he felt a sharp pain at the point where his fist was blocked by Lin Xuan’s palm. Next, a violent, surging force like a raging wave flooded in. It instantly shattered all his resistance. Then, darkness engulfed his vision. The world spun. Bang! A dull thud. When he came to, the scene before him had completely changed. After glancing around, Li Quan froze. He had landed on the square, off the arena—defeated! This stunned Li Quan, leaving him unable to react. He had been ready for a big fight; how had he ended up down here? He had lost without even feeling it? Wasn’t that too fast? For a moment, he couldn’t accept it.
Similarly, not just Li Quan, but almost everyone on the field was just as dumbfounded. They stood frozen, eyes wide with disbelief. It took several breaths before some began to snap out of it. Hiss... A wave of sharp intakes of breath echoed. The field erupted into chaos and uproar. “Am I dreaming or what?” “Li Quan lost just like that?” “That was too fast—I didn’t even see it!” “This shows Lin Xuan’s strength is insane—he practically one-shot Li Quan!” “Yeah, Li Quan’s at Condensation Whirl level eight; aside from those on the power rankings, no inner sect elite has truly beaten him!” “This is even stronger than the rumors, right?” “I heard Lin Xuan went into seclusion; maybe his strength increased during those days!” “That’s way too much of an increase—it’s terrifying!” “...” The inner sect disciples buzzed with discussion and exclamations. Their gazes remained fixed on Lin Xuan, filled with shock and awe. Originally, having heard the various rumors about Lin Xuan, they had guessed his strength was considerable—though still at the Qi Transformation stage, many inner sect elites might not be his match. Thus, they were quite eager for his challenge against Li Quan, a top inner sect elite. But deep down, they still thought Li Quan would win. After all, Li Quan was at Condensation Whirl level eight, a pinnacle among inner sect elites. Lin Xuan, a new disciple, no matter how talented, shouldn’t be a match for Li Quan. They just wanted to see how many moves Lin Xuan could withstand. Unexpectedly, Lin Xuan’s performance far exceeded their expectations. Not only did he easily catch Li Quan’s overwhelming full-power punch, but in the next instant, he tossed Li Quan off the arena, winning the duel. Such a stark contrast left the inner sect disciples trembling in disbelief. Even after snapping out of it, they remained deeply shaken, unable to calm down. At the same time, this duel had shown them Lin Xuan’s strength. Even Li Quan, a Condensation Whirl level eight top elite, was thrown off in an instant. Though surprise played a part, it proved Lin Xuan’s extraordinary power. He was likely among the top inner sect elites, even if not matching the power rankings. Few could rival Lin Xuan. And all this while Lin Xuan was still an ordinary inner sect disciple at the Qi Transformation stage, not even an elite. Yet he possessed such terrifying strength, surpassing a whole major realm. This showed how astonishing Lin Xuan’s talent was! The rumors they thought exaggerated had probably underestimated him. The inner sect disciples were now even more stunned, unable to contain themselves.
Around the arena. Several peak Condensation Whirl stewards were also shocked, unable to believe it. They had been looking forward to the duel between Lin Xuan and Li Quan. And now, it was over just like that? Lin Xuan had nearly one-shot Li Quan? The duel had ended too simply! They hadn’t even processed it before it was done? The stewards were deeply shaken, unable to stay calm. After a long pause, they took a deep breath, looked at Lin Xuan on the arena, and their expressions turned to reverence.