But even so, this level of strength was far beyond what he could match. Crushing him would be far too easy. Lin Xuan's strength truly had the potential to break into the top three.
Wu Jie's heart trembled with shock. At the same time, he felt immense relief. Thankfully, he had resolved his grievances with Lin Xuan early on. Otherwise, with Lin Xuan's power, he could have been suppressed in an instant. At that point, he would have been in real danger.
Lin Xuan far surpassed him in both strength and potential. The sect would naturally value Lin Xuan more. In comparison, he could be discarded entirely. Fortunately, he had the foresight to apologize and make amends early. At last, he had managed to avert a calamity.
He silently resolved to warn his younger sister again once he returned, lest she continue to act recklessly under his name. Otherwise, if she accidentally provoked some major figure, even he would be dragged down with her. Though he was well-regarded in the inner sect, there were still many he couldn't afford to offend.
On the arena. Lin Xuan watched Zhang Kuishan, who had retreated several steps, a faint smile curling at the corner of his mouth. It seemed his cultivation of the *Golden Scale Elephant Art* was indeed more profound.
He then turned his gaze to the void before him. He had already earned a fair amount of energy points. And there was an even bigger wave coming next. Lin Xuan nodded slightly.
Across from him, Zhang Kuishan stared at Lin Xuan, his eyes wide with disbelief. He never imagined the outcome would be like this. Having heard countless rumors about Lin Xuan and his title as the sect's top genius, along with the terrifying aura he exuded upon entering the arena today, even though Lin Xuan was still a new disciple who had joined less than two months ago, Zhang Kuishan dared not underestimate him.
Though this punch was meant as a probe, it still contained most of his strength, amounting to hundreds of thousands of jin. With one punch, it would be effortless to blast apart a peak Condensation Whirlpool cultivator. Even a first-layer Spirit Opening cultivator wouldn't find it easy to withstand.
In his view, even if Lin Xuan had extraordinary talent and strength, he would at least be forced back, even if unharmed, after taking this punch. Then, by pressing the attack, he would have a high chance of victory.
But he never expected Lin Xuan to choose the same approach—using only physical strength, without true qi, intent, or martial techniques, to clash head-on. And after that single punch, Lin Xuan remained unscathed, while he himself was forced back, falling into a disadvantage. This scene far exceeded his expectations and imagination. He simply couldn't bring himself to believe it.
Yet the facts lay before him, along with the throbbing pain in his arm, all telling him this was no illusion—it was reality!
Only when the crowd erupted in noise did Zhang Kuishan fully snap back to reality. Taking a deep breath, he looked at Lin Xuan, utterly astonished. And then, with extreme solemnity.
It seemed he had still underestimated Lin Xuan. Lin Xuan's genius far surpassed even the rumors. This level of strength spoke for itself. He dared not let his guard down even a little.
He regarded Lin Xuan as a formidable enemy, a rival on par with Chen Yu, the top-ranked on the Strength Ranking. The strength Lin Xuan had displayed was enough to match Chen Yu. At least, in his eyes.
Shaking his hand, he spoke gravely: "Junior Brother Lin Xuan, you truly live up to your title as the sect's top genius! The rumors are no exaggeration—you are the real deal! But I, as your senior, cannot afford to lose! Take another punch from me!"
With that, he charged at Lin Xuan once more.
"Limitless Quaking Mountain Fist!" With a low shout, he threw a punch. In an instant, true qi surged, unleashing power as狂暴 as thunder. It condensed into a massive fist imprint dozens of zhang wide, carrying the terrifying might to shake mountains and crush the void, hurtling toward Lin Xuan. The sheer force was so intense that even the air within a hundred meters was ground to dust, a horrifying sight.
This time, Zhang Kuishan held nothing back. Aside from his final trump card—intent—he had already unleashed his full power. The fist's roar was deafening, its might earth-shattering. Its speed was also immense, reaching Lin Xuan in the blink of an eye.
Everyone on the field watched with rapt attention. Zhang Kuishan's punch was clearly several times more powerful and imposing than his earlier probing strike. This was the true strength of the second-ranked on the Strength Ranking, not far off from an ordinary early-stage Spirit Opening cultivator. Far beyond what any other peak Condensation Whirlpool cultivator could match.
Could Lin Xuan maintain his stance and withstand this punch? The crowd was filled with anticipation.
On the arena, across from him. Lin Xuan watched the incoming massive fist light, his expression calm, a slight smile curving at his lips. "So this is the power that comes from cultivating the *Golden Scale Elephant Art*!" "But it's only close to a million jin, not even reaching one ox's strength—still not enough!"
Then, Lin Xuan threw a punch of his own.
"Overlord Strength Fist!" His fist moved slowly, its power radiating outward, yet it carried an unmatched dominance. That aura of absolute supremacy seemed to freeze the very void. Even the incoming massive fist imprint paused momentarily, its speed slowing slightly before continuing forward.
In the eyes of the crowd, Lin Xuan seemed to transform into a peerless overlord, his dominance sweeping across the heavens! Everyone was instantly stunned, frozen in place, their thoughts grinding to a halt.
Across from him, Zhang Kuishan, as his opponent, felt it most keenly. He felt like an ant before this supreme overlord, utterly powerless and fragile, his will to resist nearly dissipating. His heart trembled violently, shaken to its core.
At that moment, Zhang Kuishan's massive fist imprint collided with Lin Xuan's fist light. Though Lin Xuan's fist light was much smaller, only a few zhang across, its overwhelming might was in no way inferior.
Boom! A terrifying explosion rang out. Visible shockwaves swept through layers of air, spreading in all directions.
On the square, the inner sect disciples, who had already retreated a hundred meters, felt as if a massive tidal wave from the sea was crashing down on them. With little resistance, they were sent flying, falling like dumplings dozens of meters away. Many spat blood, sustaining considerable injuries.
And this was just the aftermath. The crowd's hearts trembled again, filled with awe. They hadn't expected even the shockwaves to possess such power. Among them were many Condensation Whirlpool cultivators, yet they all ended up like this. The gap was so vast it felt as if the two sides weren't even on the same level.
The disciples were utterly stunned. This display of power had already surpassed the earlier battle between the top-ranked Chen Yu and third-ranked Bai Yunfei! Their hearts quaked.
On the small platform, the Strength Ranking disciples were also caught in the shockwaves, stumbling backward. Had they not been seated, they might have fallen to the ground. They, too, were deeply shaken, gaining a clearer understanding of the combat prowess of these two.
All eyes once again fixed on the arena.