Zhang Kuishan's heart felt heavy. He knew that in this challenge, his chances of victory were slim.
Though he still had his final trump card—twenty percent mastery of the Earth Intent.
But wasn't Lin Xuan the same?
At the very least, according to rumors, Lin Xuan's incredibly sharp swordsmanship and sword intent had never been displayed from start to finish.
Still, as the second-ranked on the Strength List, he had his pride to uphold.
Even if he might lose, he wouldn't concede.
*I'll go all out. If I'm defeated again, there's no point in dragging this fight out.*
Zhang Kuishan thought to himself.
Then, looking at Lin Xuan, he said coldly:
"Junior Brother Lin, your strength has once again exceeded my expectations.
You truly deserve a spot in the top three of the Strength List.
But defeating me won't be that easy.
Let's go again!"
With that, a heavy, mountain-like aura emanated from Zhang Kuishan's body.
A faint yellow light swirled around him.
In that instant, even the air itself seemed to grow heavier.
As it spread, the disciples present felt an invisible force pressing down on them, their bodies involuntarily sinking lower.
Some of the weaker disciples stumbled and fell to the ground.
The disciples' gazes toward the arena grew even more awestruck.
This was the twenty percent Earth Intent.
The surrounding spectators, the Strength List disciples, and the elders on the high platform all perked up.
Many among them had comprehended intent themselves.
They could tell at a glance that this was Earth Intent, and it had reached a full twenty percent.
Even the elders nodded slightly, their eyes passing over Zhang Kuishan with satisfaction.
As expected of Zhang Kuishan, the second on the Strength List. To comprehend twenty percent intent at the Condensation Whirlpool Realm was already quite impressive.
They also believed this should be Zhang Kuishan's final and strongest trump card.
In the previous two clashes, Zhang Kuishan had been at a disadvantage, each time worse than the last.
Finally, his trump card had been forced out.
Now, Zhang Kuishan should be unleashing his full power.
Faced with this situation, how would Lin Xuan respond?
Could he maintain his advantage and ultimately win?
Everyone's attention shifted to Lin Xuan, eager to see any change in his expression.
But on the arena, Lin Xuan remained calm, standing still, completely unaffected.
Seeing this, the crowd was shaken once more.
Setting everything else aside, the fact that he was unaffected already showed Lin Xuan's extraordinary nature.
Moreover, judging by Lin Xuan's attitude, it seemed he didn't even take Zhang Kuishan's twenty percent Earth Intent seriously.
Could it be that Lin Xuan was still hiding even greater strength?
The anticipation among the crowd grew.
On the arena.
After revealing his twenty percent Earth Intent, Zhang Kuishan's momentum surged, increasing several times over.
His confidence also grew.
He looked at Lin Xuan again.
But Lin Xuan remained indifferent, unmoved.
Zhang Kuishan's heart skipped a beat, a bad feeling creeping in.
But since things had come this far, he couldn't afford to overthink.
Zhang Kuishan shouted coldly:
"Junior Brother Lin, this was originally my trump card prepared for Senior Brother Chen Yu.
I didn't expect to use it on you.
This is also my strongest strike.
Junior Brother Lin, let's settle this in one move!"
"Fine! Let's decide it in one move!"
Lin Xuan replied coldly.
Then, his momentum began to rise.
A thick, heavy aura spread out—also Earth Intent.
But it was only ten percent, inferior to Zhang Kuishan's.
Still, in Lin Xuan's eyes, that was enough.
The crowd felt a chill.
Zhang Kuishan had finally forced out one of Lin Xuan's trump cards.
Unexpectedly, besides his ten percent Sword Intent, Lin Xuan also had ten percent Earth Intent.
His cultivation advanced so quickly, his physical strength was formidable, and now he had comprehended two intents.
All of this highlighted Lin Xuan's terrifying talent.
The crowd was once again stunned.
At the same time, their anticipation for this duel grew even stronger.
On the arena.
Seeing Lin Xuan reveal his ten percent Earth Intent, Zhang Kuishan was also shocked by Lin Xuan's genius.
But then he breathed a sigh of relief.
If this ten percent Earth Intent was Lin Xuan's trump card, he still had some chance of winning.
After all, intent was the initial manifestation of the world's laws.
The deeper the comprehension, the greater the boost to martial arts.
Twenty percent Earth Intent was far more effective than ten percent.
Plus, his cultivation level was also higher than Lin Xuan's.
Combined, he had a chance to win.
"Let's fight!"
Zhang Kuishan roared, throwing a punch.
"Ultimate Tremor Mountain Fist!"
His full physical strength poured out.
With a force that seemed to shake mountains and suppress the void, it charged toward Lin Xuan.
Though it was the same martial art, with the boost from twenty percent Earth Intent, its power multiplied several times over.
This was Zhang Kuishan's strongest punch.
Even an early Opening Spirit Realm cultivator would struggle to withstand it head-on.
On the other side.
Lin Xuan remained expressionless, meeting it with a punch of his own.
"Overlord Force Fist!"
It was the same fist technique as before.
A fist light condensed, radiating unparalleled dominance, as if it could overpower heaven and earth.
Boosted by ten percent Earth Intent, its power also surged.
But compared to Zhang Kuishan's fist light, it seemed several times weaker.
The crowd watched intently.
Now, the winner should be decided!
Everyone was eager.
No matter who won, they would undoubtedly be among the top inner disciples.
In an instant.
Under everyone's gaze, the two fist lights collided and exploded.
Boom!
A thunderous blast rang out.
The crowd felt their ears ring, their vision darken, and their blood churn uncontrollably, nearly spitting blood.
It took a while to recover.
But their shock only deepened.
Even the soundwaves from the clash had such power.
How terrifying was the actual attack?
No wonder they were at the pinnacle of the inner sect—far beyond their reach.
The crowd was utterly stunned, still shaken.
Their eyes returned to the arena.
A layer of dust had risen.
Then, a gust of wind swept through, clearing the dust.
The scene on the arena was revealed.
But seeing this, the crowd froze again, standing still, almost forgetting to think.
On the arena.
Lin Xuan stood motionless, not even a speck of dust on him.
As if nothing had happened.
But Zhang Kuishan across from him looked as if he had taken a heavy blow, his face flushed.
Soon, he couldn't hold it in anymore and spat out a mouthful of blood.
Then, like a torn sack, he flew backward, crashing onto the square, kicking up a cloud of dust.
His right arm hung limply at an odd angle, and his aura was several times weaker than before.
He was severely injured.
This challenge had clearly ended with Lin Xuan's victory.
Such an outcome exceeded everyone's expectations.
Everyone stared blankly at the scene, eyes wide, unable to believe it.