On the arena stage, Lin Xuan stood with his hands behind his back, his expression calm and composed, as if nothing had happened at all. The stage itself was completely intact. This stage was specially made by the Yang Yuan Sect for the Red Sun Domain competition, its materials so sturdy that even late-stage Spirit Origin Realm cultivators would struggle to damage it. That it remained undamaged was only natural. But the ground below was not so resilient.
Beneath the stage, centered on Platform Three, fine cracks had appeared, spreading outward like a spiderweb in all directions, covering nearly half the square. Though the square was not as tough as the five stages, it was still exceptionally solid. Under normal circumstances, even a mid-stage Spirit Origin Realm cultivator would find it hard to leave a scratch. The Yang Yuan Sect had held dozens of Red Sun Domain competitions here without any issues—until today. And Lin Xuan’s air-punch strike had landed on the stage, not the square. That meant the dense network of cracks on the square wasn’t caused by Lin Xuan’s direct attack, but was shaken out through the stage itself, a testament to the terrifying power of that punch.
Several hundred meters away, Zhou Wenhao lay on the ground, coughing up blood, his aura significantly weakened. Though not critically injured, he was far from unscathed. At this sight, the arena fell into dead silence. Everyone stood frozen, eyes wide, mouths slightly agape, faces filled with disbelief. It took several breaths before people began to snap out of it. Immediately, the air filled with sharp intakes of breath, and the arena erupted into noise, a wave of sound even louder than before.
“Holy crap! Did I just see that? Zhou Wenhao, one of the Four Young Masters, lost just like that?” “And not just lost—that punch from Lin Xuan shook the ground and cracked the entire square!” “How strong is he? At least mid-stage Spirit Origin Realm combat power, right?” “If Zhou Wenhao was beaten so easily, then Wu Xin and Chen Feng, who are on the same level, can’t possibly be a match for Lin Xuan either!” “So that means Lin Xuan is the top young talent of the Red Sun Domain?” “Not necessarily—there’s still Zhang Yuchen. He’s the Red Sun Domain’s number one genius, the only prodigy here. He should be a bit stronger than Zhou Wenhao, Chen Feng, and the others.” “I’m not so sure. Lin Xuan looked completely at ease when he defeated Zhou Wenhao, clearly holding back and not showing his full strength.” “No matter what, the title of Red Sun Domain’s top genius is going to fall on Lin Xuan this time.” “...”
The crowd buzzed with discussion, exclamations overlapping in a continuous uproar. All eyes were fixed on Lin Xuan, pupils slightly dilated, still caught in the immense shock from moments ago, not yet recovered. Everyone had speculated about the outcome of this match. They’d thought it would be a fierce battle—after all, though Lin Xuan’s reputation didn’t match the Four Young Masters, his record was impressive. But they’d expected him to lose in the end, since he was still in the Spirit Opening Realm. Even with Spirit Origin Realm combat power, they figured he couldn’t compare to the famed Four Young Masters. Yet no one anticipated this turn of events, completely beyond their expectations. Lin Xuan not only withstood Zhou Wenhao’s Spirit Origin Realm-level attack, but in the midst of Zhou Wenhao’s strongest strike, he shattered the sword light and countered, blasting Zhou Wenhao away and injuring him badly. The residual force hit the stage, shaking the entire square into countless cracks, throwing the whole area into chaos. The gap between them was like heaven and earth, almost unimaginable.
Everyone was utterly stunned by this scene, unable to calm down for a long time. In this battle, Lin Xuan had truly revealed his strength, surpassing the three Young Masters like Zhou Wenhao, likely reaching mid-stage Spirit Origin Realm. The crowd was awestruck by his power, unable to tear themselves away. Even the prodigy Zhang Yuchen might not be able to defeat Lin Xuan. Such strength was terrifying to hear. And what was even more frightening was that Lin Xuan’s visible cultivation was only at the eighth layer of the Spirit Opening Realm, not even at the peak, yet he possessed mid-stage Spirit Origin Realm combat power. That was a leap across an entire major realm and several minor levels. This ability to transcend ranks had already broken the Red Sun Domain’s centuries-old record, highlighting Lin Xuan’s monstrous talent. The crowd was overwhelmed by his extraordinary gifts, nearly losing themselves. Setting aside combat power, Lin Xuan’s displayed talent had already surpassed the prodigy Zhang Yuchen, firmly establishing him as the new number one genius of the Red Sun Domain. Everyone’s minds were in a fog, almost unable to think, because this scene was too shocking, pushing past their limits.
On the southern viewing platform, the high-ranking members of the five major forces of Cangyuan Kingdom were equally dazed, unable to react for a long time, struggling to accept this reality. It had exceeded their imagination. On the northern viewing platform, the Wind Flame Valley and the Red Flame Kingdom’s royal family both darkened with grim expressions. The Wind Flame Valley had lost their fourth true disciple, Ye Li, to Lin Xuan, and their second true disciple had been intimidated into handing over his storage ring, losing all face. The Red Flame Kingdom’s top two junior disciples in the competition, Zhou Wenhao and Zhou Wenjie, had both been defeated by Lin Xuan, becoming stepping stones for him, deepening the enmity. Yet even these high-ranking figures were shaken by Lin Xuan’s performance. After a moment of shifting expressions, they let out long sighs, their faces falling into defeat. Lin Xuan’s talent far surpassed Zhang Yuchen’s, and it wasn’t just about reaching the Yuanhai Realm—he had great potential to ascend even higher. Moreover, Lin Xuan had already caught the attention of Fire Yuan True Man, making it impossible for them to act against him. Once he made a name for himself in the Xuan Yuan Ranking competition, he would likely be noticed by the major powers of Maple Martial Prefecture and soar to new heights, far beyond their reach. They had no choice but to abandon this grudge, daring not to trouble Lin Xuan again. They would also have to instruct their disciples to restrain themselves and stop bullying the Cangyuan Kingdom disciples. Otherwise, by the time Lin Xuan returned, he might already stand above their forces, and then they would truly be in danger.