The crowd froze, shock flickering in their eyes. Though they had long guessed Lin Xuan would win this match—after all, he had defeated Lin Yun, a peak ninth-layer Body Tempering cultivator, over half a month ago, and Chen Feng, only at the eighth layer, was naturally no match—they hadn’t expected it to be so decisive. Chen Feng probably hadn’t even reacted before being taken down. The gap in strength between them was so vast it felt like they weren’t even on the same level. Only then did the crowd gain some confidence in Lin Xuan as the top genius. Before, it was hearsay; now, they had witnessed it firsthand.
On the arena, Zhang Ping’s eyes also showed surprise. He hadn’t anticipated the fight ending so quickly either. It was the fastest of the eight matches since the competition began. Then, he announced in a clear voice, “This match, Lin Xuan wins, earning one point!” A small commotion rippled through the crowd. Lin Xuan glanced at the surging energy points on his attribute panel, a faint smile on his face, before leaping off the arena and heading toward the stands.
Below the arena, Chen Feng, knocked out by Lin Xuan’s single punch, snapped back to reality at the noise. His gaze, a mix of shock and complexity, fixed on Lin Xuan before turning into a bitter smile. He had thought he could exchange a few moves with Lin Xuan, but the opposite happened. He couldn’t even block before being blasted off the arena. The gap was too wide. Rubbing his sore chest, Chen Feng also walked toward the stands. Though Lin Xuan had only used one move, Chen Feng could discern a hint of his strength—it was at least on par with Chen Yu, the top genius of their Chen family. How could he possibly contend with someone like that? Better to give up.
The competition continued, match after match. During this time, Lin Shiyun, Lin Yun, and the top geniuses of the other three major forces—Chen Yu, Wu Qili, and Zhang He, who had all broken through to the Meridian Opening realm—also took the arena. Their opponents, without exception, were all at the eighth layer of Body Tempering. To show they were no less than Lin Xuan, they too defeated their opponents in a single move. It seemed to be an arrangement by the higher-ups of the four major forces, ensuring the true geniuses who had broken through didn’t clash, maintaining fairness. Unknowingly, an hour passed.
“Next match, Lin Xuan versus Wu Qixing!” The referee Zhang Ping’s voice rang out. It was Lin Xuan’s turn again. Everyone turned to look. Soon, the two were on the arena. This time, the opponent, Wu Qixing, was still at the eighth layer of Body Tempering. “Begin the match!” Zhang Ping announced. Lin Xuan, calm and composed, was about to make his move. After all, this was just a formality for him, a chance to earn some energy points, so he wouldn’t waste time. But then, a voice came from the opposite side. “I concede!” Wu Qixing declared loudly. With that, he leaped off the arena and walked toward the stands, a smooth, practiced routine that left the crowd stunned. Lin Xuan paused mid-motion, not expecting this outcome. “This match, Lin Xuan wins, earning one point!” Zhang Ping, momentarily taken aback, quickly understood and announced the result. It was likely that Lin Xuan’s reputation as the top genius of Qingyu City, combined with his overwhelming display in the previous match, had convinced Wu Qixing he couldn’t win, so he simply gave up. Zhang Ping could understand that—when the gap in strength was too large, conceding was normal. Lin Xuan, after recovering, roughly grasped the situation, smiled, and leaped off the arena toward the stands. He hadn’t expected his reputation to reach such a level that he could win without fighting. Not bad at all. Watching the energy points on his attribute panel increase even faster, Lin Xuan’s smile widened.
As Zhang Ping’s words fell, another stir ran through the crowd, bigger than before. The competition went on. Soon, another half hour passed, and the first round of the points tournament neared its end. *Thud!* A dull sound echoed as someone was thrown off the arena. The final match of the first round had concluded. After announcing the result, Zhang Ping took out a list, scanned the entire venue, and declared in a loud voice, “The first round of the points tournament ends here. The top ten are Lin Xuan, Zhang He, Lin Yun, Wu Qili, Chen Yu, Lin Shiyun...” Zhang Ping read out all ten names in one go. Unsurprisingly, Lin Xuan, due to his reputation as Qingyu City’s top genius, was ranked first, even though he, like the others, had won consecutively. Lin Yun, Lin Shiyun, and the top geniuses of the other three major forces—Zhang He, Chen Yu, Wu Qili—who had all broken through to the Meridian Opening realm, also made the top ten. The other four, though not at the Meridian Opening realm, were all at the peak of the ninth layer of Body Tempering. The rest, including Lin Hai, who had broken through to the ninth layer, were all eliminated, failing to enter the top ten. After announcing the top ten list, Zhang Ping paused, then continued in an even louder voice, “Congratulations to you ten for entering the top ten and earning the qualification to go to Flowing Cloud Sect!” As his words fell, thunderous applause erupted from the crowd. Everyone looked at Lin Xuan, Zhang He, and the other ten with envy. The disciples who hadn’t made the top ten were filled with awe and extreme jealousy. From this moment on, they were no longer in the same world. The others would go to Flowing Cloud Sect, entering a broader realm, while they would remain in the mortal world, possibly trapped in Qingyu City for life. When they met again, they might have to respectfully address the others as seniors. But they could only envy and smile bitterly—who could blame them for lacking talent and strength, failing to make the top ten?
On the eastern stands, Lin Hai, seated, heard Zhang Ping’s announcement and glanced at Lin Xuan nearby, a flicker of fear in his eyes. In this competition, Lin Xuan had unsurprisingly made the top ten, even ranking first for now. And him? Despite consuming a large amount of cultivation resources to push himself to the ninth layer of Body Tempering in over half a month, he had still lost, blocked from the top ten. Now, the gap between them had truly widened. Thinking of his past actions, schemes, and plots against Lin Xuan, and now Lin Xuan had secured a spot to enter Flowing Cloud Sect, possibly soaring to great heights, while he was stuck in Qingyu City, unsure when he would even break through to the Qi Gathering realm. In a few years, when Lin Xuan returned from Flowing Cloud Sect, invincible in Qingyu City, he would probably still be at the Meridian Opening realm. If Lin Xuan sought revenge then, wouldn’t he be doomed? At this thought, Lin Hai couldn’t help but tremble, his fear deepening. Regret surged in his heart. If only he had known Lin Xuan was such a genius, why had he provoked him in the first place? Wasn’t that asking for death? He had been blind! Beside him, Lin Qixing watched his grandson’s expression change and shook his head, sighing inwardly. Lin Xuan, of course, had no idea that merely passing the first round and entering the top ten had scared Lin Hai half to death.