You see, this bronze puppet’s body was as if forged from steel—unyieldingly hard. Even a full-force strike from a cultivator of the same rank would struggle to break through its defenses. At best, they could repel it, but defeating it was nearly impossible. Yet now? This top-tier bronze puppet, comparable to a peak Opening Spirit Realm cultivator, had been obliterated by sheer force. Not only that, but its upper body was shattered and nearly split apart. How could the group not be utterly horrified? Even the rumored top ten talents of the Cangyuan Nation’s potential rankings—Sun Yuwen, Chen Hanshuang, Liu Qianyu, and others—could never achieve such a feat! In theory, this level of power wasn’t even attainable within the Opening Spirit Realm. But here it was, right before their eyes. How could they not be shaken to the core? They almost thought they were hallucinating, because this scene was far too surreal. It took a long while for them to snap back to reality. Exchanging glances, they could see boundless shock in each other’s eyes. “It seems another prodigy on par with a young master has emerged,” the team leader finally sighed, uttering a single sentence. According to the agreements among the major powers, the Puppet Secret Realm could only be entered by young martial artists, each relying on their own skills to compete for opportunities. That meant the one who had killed this bronze puppet—comparable to a peak Opening Spirit Realm cultivator—and displayed such terrifying strength was also a young martial artist, just like them. At this thought, their shock deepened even further. They realized that the Chiyu Domain would soon witness the rise of another extraordinary being. All they could hope was that this person was from the Cangyuan Nation. Within the Chiyu Domain, the Cangyuan Nation still lagged behind somewhat. Then, the group hastily retreated, changing direction. Such monstrous talents were not to be trifled with. Though they were all late-stage Opening Spirit Realm cultivators, they likely wouldn’t even be worth a single squeeze from this person’s hand. Unfortunately, they didn’t know that the one who had struck wasn’t at the peak of the Opening Spirit Realm. On the contrary, his cultivation was far lower than theirs—merely at the early stage of the Opening Spirit Realm. If they had known, they might have been scared half to death. ... Meanwhile, Lin Xuan was unaware that his feat of unleashing his full power to kill a bronze puppet comparable to a peak Opening Spirit Realm cultivator had been discovered by a squad of late-stage Opening Spirit Realm martial artists, leaving them utterly terrified. At this moment, Lin Xuan was fully focused on hunting bronze puppets, paying no attention to anything else. These were rare treasures that could directly boost his cultivation realm, nearly impossible to find in the outside world and incredibly precious. They were far beyond what someone at his level should ever encounter. Now that he had the chance, he couldn’t afford to let it slip by. Soon, another hour passed. Lin Xuan had taken down several dozen more bronze puppets, and his cultivation had risen significantly, reaching the late stage of the second layer of the Opening Spirit Realm. A satisfied smile crossed his face as he continued his hunt. After flying another several thousand meters, a fierce clash of battle sounds suddenly came from ahead, mixed with shouts of abuse. Lin Xuan moved closer. What came into view were two young men locked in combat with another pair—a man and a woman. Among them, one side included a familiar face to Lin Xuan: Xu Guangzhen, the one he had taught a lesson to outside the Puppet Secret Realm on the Cangmang Wasteland before he fled. Beside Xu Guangzhen was a youth slightly younger than him, but his blade technique was far sharper, and his cultivation had reached the peak of the Opening Spirit Realm. He was likely Xu Guangzhen’s senior brother, a core disciple of Wind Flame Valley. Checking his attribute panel, Lin Xuan saw his name was Ye Li, and his talents were several notches higher than Xu Anlan’s. Lin Xuan’s heart tightened. On the field, Xu Guangzhen and his senior brother Ye Li were driving the other two back step by step, holding a clear advantage. The main force was Ye Li; though both were at the peak of the Opening Spirit Realm, he alone was suppressing the other two. “The younger generation of the Cangyuan Nation is truly useless!” “Chen Hanshuang, Liu Qianyu—you so-called top five on the potential rankings are both worthless!” “Once we’re done with you, the next generation of Cangyuan will be even weaker!” “Hahaha...” Xu Guangzhen and Ye Li laughed wildly, heaping scorn on their opponents. Not far away, Lin Xuan’s eyes narrowed upon hearing this. “Liu Qianyu? Isn’t that the name of the Liuyun Sect’s core disciple senior brother?” His expression turned cold as he shot forward. Drawing his sword, he thrust it out. A chilling sword light flew forth, vanishing into the void. On the field, Xu Guangzhen and Ye Li’s attacks grew fiercer, and the other two were on the verge of being overwhelmed, danger looming at every turn. But just then, a cold gleam appeared. It streaked through the void, heading straight for Ye Li. Its speed was so extreme that it left no afterimage. Ye Li’s expression shifted in alarm as he quickly swung his blade to block. Clang! A metallic clash rang out. Ye Li felt a terrifying force, like surging waves, pour through his treasured blade. His face changed again. He could barely keep hold of his weapon. Involuntarily, he stumbled backward, retreating over ten meters before barely stopping. Each step left footprints several inches deep in the ground, a testament to the immense power behind the strike. On the other side, Liu Qianyu and Chen Hanshuang were stunned, never expecting such a sudden turn of events. The next moment, they realized a figure had appeared before them. “Senior Brother Liu, are you alright?” The figure turned around, revealing a strikingly handsome face that was surprisingly young. “Thank you for your help, sir. May I ask who you are...” Liu Qianyu looked over, feeling a mix of unfamiliarity and a faint sense of recognition. At the same time, his heart was shaken to its core. To force Ye Li back with a single sword strike and appear before them without their notice—this level of strength far surpassed their own. This wasn’t just a top-tier genius; it was a monster! He couldn’t recall any such monstrous talent at the Opening Spirit Realm in the Cangyuan Nation, or even the entire Chiyu Domain. He didn’t know when he had come to know someone like this. Especially with that address—it sounded like a fellow disciple... As this thought struck, it was like a lightning bolt in his mind. His whole body trembled, and he couldn’t help but exclaim: “You... you’re... Lin Xuan!!!” “I didn’t expect Senior Brother Liu to still remember me,” came a calm, light laugh, which also served as an admission. Instantly, Liu Qianyu’s mind seemed to explode, plunging into boundless shock. He stood frozen, eyes wide, staring at the figure in utter disbelief. His heart was shaken to the extreme. The name Lin Xuan had already spread throughout the entire Liuyun Sect. As the sect’s core disciple senior brother and former top genius, he was certainly no stranger to it.