In reality, given Lin Xuan’s true strength, not to mention Zhou Wenhao, even Zhang Yuchen could be suppressed with a single punch using only his physical power. However, Lin Xuan didn’t want to reveal too much of his ability just yet. So he held back a bit, employing martial arts in that punch.
In an instant, the punch was thrown, unleashing a violent surge of fist force that coalesced into an air cannon fist imprint several meters wide, flying outward. At the same time, an overwhelming, domineering aura erupted, as if Lin Xuan had transformed into an invincible overlord. The momentum was terrifying. Even the force radiating from Zhou Wenhao’s full-power strike, infused with three artistic conceptions, faltered, unable to approach within ten meters of Lin Xuan.
The next moment, under the gaze of the crowd, Lin Xuan’s fist imprint, wrapped in unmatched dominance, slammed into the massive sword beam dozens of meters long, imbued with three artistic conceptions. Though the domineering air cannon fist imprint was only a few meters in size, far smaller than the colossal sword beam, its momentum was in no way inferior—in fact, it surpassed it by a considerable margin.
Boom! A terrifying explosion resounded, spreading outward in visible, fearsome ripples. This time, not only those below the Spirit Origin realm, but even spectators at the first and second layers of the Spirit Origin realm struggled to endure. They felt ringing in their ears, eardrums throbbing, and blood surging uncontrollably, nearly forcing them to spit blood. The high-ranking members of various major forces, martial artists at the mid-stage of the Spirit Origin realm and above, quickly dispersed their own auras, neutralizing most of the impact, allowing everyone to recover.
The crowd’s gaze toward the two on the arena grew even more horrified. If the mere aftershocks of their clash possessed such power, the true force was beyond imagination. Their eyes refocused on the arena.
There, Lin Xuan remained expressionless, while Zhou Wenhao’s face had drastically changed. High in the air, Lin Xuan’s domineering air cannon fist imprint had once again halted Zhou Wenhao’s massive sword beam. Not only did it fail to advance, but it was now covered in cracks like a spiderweb.
Bang! A deafening explosion rang out. Zhou Wenhao’s so-called strongest strike, meant to counter Zhang Yuchen, shattered like a brittle biscuit, its massive sword beam breaking apart into endless spiritual energy and dissipating. Meanwhile, Lin Xuan’s air cannon fist imprint, slightly reduced in size but undiminished in momentum and speed, continued to crush toward Zhou Wenhao. Where it passed, the surrounding air was instantly ground into fine dust, its power utterly terrifying.
On the other side. Ugh. Zhou Wenhao couldn’t help but spit out a mouthful of blood. The destruction of his full-power sword beam caused a backlash, inflicting him with significant injuries. He stared at Lin Xuan, his face full of shock: “How is this possible? How can you be this strong?!”
He never imagined that unleashing his strongest sword technique, infused with three artistic conceptions, would not only fail to repel Lin Xuan but wouldn’t even force him to take a single step back. Instead, his own attack was easily shattered, leaving him heavily injured. The gap was so vast that it felt as if he were the one at the Opening Spirit realm, and Lin Xuan at the Spirit Origin realm—not the other way around. The strength Lin Xuan displayed now far exceeded his own level, surpassing it entirely. Zhou Wenhao was utterly stunned by Lin Xuan’s talent and power, unable to compose himself.
But in an instant, he snapped back to reality. His hair stood on end, cold sweat trickled down his back, and his whole body trembled. He sensed a lethal threat—clearly emanating from Lin Xuan’s domineering air cannon fist imprint.
“Lingyun Void Breaker!” “Lingyun One Sword!” “...” With a grim expression, Zhou Wenhao slashed out several more sword beams at the domineering fist imprint.
Clang, clang, clang... Metallic clashes rang out repeatedly. But all the sword beams only slightly diminished the fist imprint’s momentum, failing to damage it in the slightest. Instead, the sword beams snapped under the rebounding force.
“Not good! This fist imprint is too strong—it’s beyond the early Spirit Origin realm! It’s definitely at the mid-stage Spirit Origin level!” Zhou Wenhao’s expression shifted again. After several strikes, he had only managed to slow the domineering fist imprint slightly. Yet as it drew nearer, the lethal threat grew, not diminished. At this point, Zhou Wenhao understood clearly: he had not only lost this battle completely but was far from being Lin Xuan’s match. If he tried to withstand this fist imprint, he would likely suffer severe injuries at best, or even die on the arena. Though he hated to admit it, he had to accept this reality.
After a moment of hesitation, Zhou Wenhao made his decision. Instead of blocking with his sword, he turned and fled off the arena. It might be a blow to his pride, but risking severe injury and damaging his foundation for the sake of face—potentially missing the Profound Origin Ranking Tournament in a month—would be a far greater loss. Weighing the pros and cons, the choice was clear. He knew what to do.
As a Spirit Origin realm martial artist, his speed was immense. In an instant, Zhou Wenhao had flown hundreds of meters away from the arena. Without his resistance, the domineering air cannon fist imprint continued downward, crashing onto the arena.
Boom! A terrifying roar spread in all directions. The entire square trembled as if struck by an earthquake. The spectators in the square cried out in chaos, falling like dumplings into a pot, stumbling and disorderly. On the surrounding stands, many weaker martial artists were thrown off balance, nearly tumbling down. Fortunately, the high-ranking members of the major forces quickly intervened, barely stabilizing the situation. The square was now a cacophony of screams, shouts, and crashes, mixed with billowing dust, plunging into utter chaos. Even Zhou Wenhao, who had fled hundreds of meters away, was caught in the aftershock. His blood churned violently, and he spat out another mouthful of blood, worsening his injuries. He was even more horrified by Lin Xuan’s strength.
“Silence!” A sharp shout rang out, like a thunderclap, instantly suppressing all noise in the square. It came from the eastern stands—Zhang Xing, the sect master of Yangyuan Sect, the strongest in the Red Sun Domain and its sole Yuan Sea realm expert, had intervened. Zhang Xing’s expression was grim. His sect had hosted the Red Sun Domain Grand Tournament countless times, but never had it descended into such chaos, nearly losing control. With a wave of his hand, a violent gale swept through, clearing the dust from the square, revealing the scene to everyone.