That streak of cold light transformed into a sharp sword aura about ten feet long, swirling with gale winds and waves of fire. Its momentum undiminished, it continued to charge toward Chen Yu.
Across from him, Chen Yu’s expression shifted drastically, feeling as if countless steel blades were scraping his bones. Even before Lin Xuan’s sword aura descended, it made his skin sting unbearably, as if his defenses could be breached at any moment, blood spilling forth. The sheer sharpness was so intense that, even after channeling the last of his spiritual energy throughout his body, his eyes ached and he couldn’t see clearly. The sword aura, swift as if piercing through the void, arrived in an instant. He had no time to dodge, so he could only muster his remaining spiritual energy, drive his intent, and slash out with his blade, using offense as defense.
Clang!
Another ear-splitting metallic clash rang out. Chen Yu felt a surge of power like an endless torrent crashing into him, his whole body trembling. He could no longer hold onto the Red Origin Blade. With a whoosh, the blade flew away. Chen Yu, like a torn sack, was sent flying straight back over a hundred meters, landing below the arena platform.
Fortunately, his final slash managed to shatter that sword aura. But at the same time, the residual force from the broken aura pierced him, leaving his body covered in wounds. Though not severely injured, he was bleeding profusely everywhere, turning into a blood-soaked figure. Mixed with the dirt on the ground, he looked like a beggar, utterly wretched.
By now, Chen Yu had landed beneath the arena. This challenge was already lost.
Everyone on the field stared at the scene in dead silence. Their eyes wide, they stood frozen, disbelief etched on their faces. It took a few breaths before they gradually came to their senses. Then, amid a chorus of sharp intakes of breath, the arena erupted, voices surging to the sky.
“I never thought this challenge would end with Senior Brother Lin Xuan winning!” “Defeating an Opening Spirit realm cultivator at the Condensing Rotation realm—Senior Brother Lin Xuan is just too strong!” “And he’s clearly not even at the peak of the Condensing Rotation realm!” “Senior Brother Lin Xuan truly deserves to be the sect’s top genius, too powerful, unmatched!” “I just heard the elders say Senior Brother Lin Xuan has comprehended twenty percent Sword Intent!” “I heard that too. In two months, Senior Brother Lin Xuan not only advanced rapidly in cultivation and strength but also grasped twenty percent Sword Intent—his talent is terrifying!” “Also, with the same twenty percent intent, Senior Brother Chen Yu is at the Opening Spirit realm with two additional intents, yet he still couldn’t beat Senior Brother Lin Xuan!” “Exactly, Senior Brother Lin Xuan’s talent is so immense that it even bridges the gap in cultivation levels!” “...”
The crowd buzzed with noise, exclamations unending. Gazing at Lin Xuan and the bloodied Chen Yu, their pupils dilated, hearts pounding with shock. Even now, having come to their senses, they were still stunned. No one had expected this challenge to turn out this way.
Originally, they thought Chen Yu would win, or at worst, it would be a draw. After all, Chen Yu had broken through to the Opening Spirit realm. Condensing true qi into spiritual energy at that stage vastly boosted strength, far beyond the Condensing Rotation realm. Plus, Chen Yu wasn’t an ordinary martial artist—he was a top inner sect genius, the champion of the strength rankings, hard to beat at the same level, and capable of challenging higher realms. His power was formidable, likely placing him among the elite of early Opening Spirit cultivators.
Lin Xuan, though exceptionally talented—unmatched within the entire Flowing Cloud Sect—was still only at the Condensing Rotation realm, not even at its peak. Theoretically, he shouldn’t have been a match for Chen Yu. But the result? Completely the opposite. They started evenly matched. Later, when Chen Yu unleashed his true Opening Spirit strength, he began to fall behind. Even when he burned through all his trump cards, revealing three intents for a full-power strike, not only did he fail to turn the tide, but he ended up worse off. He was immediately blasted back by Lin Xuan, flying off the arena, losing on the spot with considerable injuries.
This scene far exceeded everyone’s expectations and imagination. They dared not believe it. Only after a long while did they snap back to reality, confirming it was true. Then, they sank into deep shock, unable to pull themselves out. Lin Xuan, at the Condensing Rotation realm, had defeated an Opening Spirit cultivator, showcasing heaven-defying combat power. It also highlighted his terrifying talent. And that twenty percent Sword Intent added another layer.
The disciples were once again utterly shaken by Lin Xuan’s fearsome talent, unable to calm down. Lin Xuan’s talent had once more surpassed their expectations. He had long been hailed as the sect’s top genius, with talent no one in Flowing Cloud Sect could match. Now, it seemed they had vastly underestimated him. It wasn’t just that no one could compare—there wasn’t even anyone close. Probably not just in Flowing Cloud Sect, but across the entire Cangyuan Kingdom, there was no equal. He was no longer just the top genius of Flowing Cloud Sect, but the top genius of all Cangyuan Kingdom!
Thinking this, the disciples were even more horrified, hearts trembling uncontrollably.
On the high platform, the inner sect elders all fixed their gazes on Lin Xuan, filled with shock and admiration. Likewise, Lin Xuan’s performance this time had exceeded their expectations. However, after he revealed his twenty percent Sword Intent, they knew he would win. So they weren’t as stunned as the other disciples—just somewhat surprised. At the same time, they appreciated Lin Xuan even more. Defeating an Opening Spirit cultivator at the Condensing Rotation realm, and at the eighth layer no less—this hadn’t been achieved in Flowing Cloud Sect for nearly a hundred years. It further proved Lin Xuan’s terrifying, unparalleled talent. If Lin Xuan grew, it would greatly benefit the sect. Perhaps, under his leadership, the sect could regain its peak and advance further. They were naturally overjoyed, even more satisfied with Lin Xuan.
Several Spirit Element realm elders nodded slightly, smiles in their eyes. They had already decided that after the ranking tournament, they would go to the sect leader to grant Lin Xuan the status of a true disciple, focusing on his training. That would do justice to his heaven-defying aptitude.
On the arena, Lin Xuan remained calm, as if this challenge had never concerned him. But a glint of sharpness flickered deep in his eyes. “Indeed, the boost from top-tier sword talent, combined with twenty percent Sword Intent, amplifies the power immensely. I estimate that even early Opening Spirit cultivators are no match,” he mused inwardly.
In truth, with his real strength unleashed, he could even fight late Opening Spirit cultivators. He might not win, but he was fairly confident he could hold his ground for a while without losing. This battle was only against Chen Yu, who had just broken through to the first layer of Opening Spirit, so he naturally didn’t take it seriously. Still, this time, he hadn’t even unleashed half his true power and had already defeated an Opening Spirit cultivator. That brought him some satisfaction.