Across from him, Ye Li and Xu Guangzhen both snapped to their senses. Xu Guangzhen recognized Lin Xuan, his expression shifting as he quickly turned and whispered a few words to Ye Li. Instantly, Ye Li’s gaze fell on Lin Xuan, tinged with shock and uncertainty.
Moments ago, someone had ambushed him with a strike from afar—a cold gleam of light that sent him flying back over ten meters. Even as a sneak attack, that level of strength was terrifying. It far surpassed his own. And he was no weakling; as the third senior disciple of the Wind Flame Valley, he ranked among the top talents across the entire Red Sun Domain, second only to the公子-level geniuses. Yet he had never heard of anyone at the same Opening Spirit Realm being so overwhelmingly stronger than him—except for the Four公子. But those four had all, without exception, advanced to the Spirit Yuan Realm. He couldn’t believe it. Could a new公子-level genius have emerged? But he’d heard no news of it.
Now, the person stepping forward was clearly under twenty, with a cultivation at just the second layer of the Opening Spirit Realm, far from its peak. He couldn’t bring himself to believe that this was the one who had struck. Even with Xu Guangzhen’s words as indirect proof, he refused to accept it. What a joke! If it were true, then he’d been sent flying over ten meters by a single sword strike from someone at the second layer of the Opening Spirit Realm? Even the Four公子—the strongest top talents in the entire Red Sun Domain—could never have done that when they were at the Opening Spirit Realm. Could there be a genius in the Red Sun Domain stronger than the Four公子? He dared not and would not believe it.
Still, he hesitated to act rashly again. He could sense a hint of threat, though he couldn’t pinpoint its source. Yet he refused to believe it came from the handsome young man before him. Fixing his gaze on him, he barked coldly, “Kid, who are you? Daring to interfere with Wind Flame Valley’s business—are you tired of living?”
This was a test. If the other showed any sign of weakness, he’d unleash a storm of attacks. Being intimidated by a mere second-layer Opening Spirit Realm cultivator was a humiliation he had to wash away with blood.
Across from him, Lin Xun sneered at the words. “Lin Xuan of the Flowing Cloud Sect! Forget it—there’s no point saying more to a dead man.” With that, he struck.
“Falling Lotus!” he called out softly, thrusting his sword. A chilling gleam shot forth, transforming into a snow-white lotus. Its twelve petals bloomed into twelve sword beams, each rivaling an ordinary peak Opening Spirit Realm cultivator. Then the twelve beams merged into a single, blinding white sword light several meters long, tearing through the air as it hurtled toward Ye Li. Where it passed, the air split into a long white scar, a testament to its power. Two-tenths of his sword intent erupted, unleashing unmatched sharpness that scattered in all directions, shredding the surrounding air into powder.
Behind him, Liu Qianyu and Chen Hanshuang felt the edge of that sharpness, their skin prickling and hearts chilling. They stumbled back repeatedly, their gazes at Lin Xuan’s back filled with even greater awe. If they’d harbored any doubt before, now they were one hundred percent certain: Lin Xuan was the one who had saved them earlier. At the same time, they were utterly stunned. They hadn’t expected Lin Xuan, at just the second layer of the Opening Spirit Realm, to possess such terrifying strength. Even the mere aura of his sharpness forced them to retreat. What must the true power of that sword strike be? If they faced it, they’d likely be instantly killed, powerless to resist. Both were shaken to their core.
On the other side, Ye Li, hearing Lin Xuan’s words, seethed with rage. “Kid, what did you say? Dead man? You’re asking for it…” He was about to strike down this mere early-stage Opening Spirit Realm brat. It had been a long time since any Opening Spirit Realm martial artist dared speak to him like that! But the next moment, his expression froze, his anger melting away like snow. His hair stood on end, his body trembled uncontrollably, and a wave of immense dread descended upon him. Fear crept into his eyes. That sense of threat came from the sword beam unleashed by Lin Xuan—the very one he had dismissed as a mere second-layer Opening Spirit Realm cultivator.
Now he understood! This Lin Xuan was the one who had sent him flying over ten meters with a single sword strike from afar!! He realized he had been wrong, misled by decades of ingrained knowledge. Ye Li was plunged into deep shock, unable to pull himself out. But in an instant, he recovered. The overwhelming terror bore down on him, leaving no room for overthinking. He could sense that if he failed to block this unmatched sword beam, he’d at least be gravely wounded, with a high chance of dying on the spot. Either way, he was in danger.
Immediately, Ye Li frantically channeled the spiritual energy in his dantian, unleashing all his intent, and swung his blade with all his might. “Flame Yuan Explosion!” Under the threat of death, he unleashed his strongest attack. A blade beam wreathed in blazing flames, crackling with explosive sounds, took shape. Empowered by several intents—blade intent, fire intent, wind intent—its power multiplied several times over. It transformed into a colossal blade beam dozens of meters long, slashing down. The very void seemed split in two, terrifying beyond measure. The shockwave stirred up endless air currents, spreading in all directions.
Chen Hanshuang and Liu Qianyu were jolted back again, retreating hundreds of meters before stopping. Staring ahead at the two combatants, they were utterly horrified. They now realized that Ye Li had merely been toying with them earlier; this was his true strength! It was like night and day compared to before. They couldn’t even withstand the shockwave, which said it all. And if Ye Li had to treat this so seriously, unleashing such power, just how strong was Lin Xuan?! Both were shaken beyond imagination.
On the other side, Xu Guangzhen was caught in the terrifying force, scared half to death. He wanted to turn and flee but was swept back by a powerful force, utterly helpless. Then, the Falling Lotus sword beam struck the flame-exploding blade beam. Though the Falling Lotus beam was weaker in raw power, it was far sharper.
Bang! A deafening explosion rang out. Terrifying shockwaves scattered, kicking up endless dust that spread in all directions. Then came a chilling series of cracks—crunch, crunch, crunch. The Falling Lotus sword beam pressed down, and the flame-exploding blade beam began to fracture, covered in countless cracks like a spiderweb. With a boom, it shattered into countless fragments, flying in all directions.