The Lin family members were all overjoyed for Lin Xuan. Among them, Lin Hai, after the initial shock, was consumed by boundless fear. Seeing this, the Great Elder Lin Qiyu let out a faint sigh, equally stunned and delighted. Lin Xuan's talent was far greater than he had imagined. It seemed that after the competition, he would have to take Lin Hai to apologize and make amends to Lin Xuan. He could no longer cling to the so-called pride. Otherwise, the future would be unimaginable.
As for the members of the other three major forces, after their shock and disbelief, they all sighed in resignation. Lin Xuan's talent was indeed superior. Even though the City Lord's Mansion had used a special secret technique to cheat, temporarily granting Zhang He the strength of the late Opening Aperture Realm, he still couldn't withstand a single punch from Lin Xuan. The title of the number one genius of Qingyu City was well-deserved and beyond dispute. He had even left the other disciples of Qingyu City far behind. The so-called genius disciples among the rest were no longer geniuses in Lin Xuan's presence—they were utterly ordinary. A genius like this, once he entered the Flowing Cloud Sect, would likely soar to great heights. They should avoid clashing with the Lin family. At the very least, until news of Lin Xuan's fall spread, they ought to bow their heads and yield to the Lin family. The high-ranking members of the three major forces all thought to themselves.
On the high platform, Zhao Quxin and Lin Qiyuan both smiled and nodded with satisfaction. Lin Xuan had performed well and hadn't let down their expectations. With such cross-realm strength, he could even be called a genius within the Flowing Cloud Sect. Meanwhile, Zhang Wenyong of the City Lord's Mansion and the patriarchs of the other two major forces stared wide-eyed, their faces full of disbelief and shock. Even as experts of the Qi Transformation Realm, they had never witnessed such a scene or such a genius. It was almost too incredible to believe. After snapping back to reality, they could only sigh in admiration. With a genius like this, the Lin family's rise was unstoppable. It seemed that in the future, Qingyu City would likely be dominated by the Lin family.
On the field, after several minutes of uproar, things gradually calmed down. On the arena, Zhang Ping finally announced, "This round, Lin Xuan wins!" After speaking, he looked at Lin Xuan with a complex expression. The outcome he had least wanted to see had come to pass. But he had no choice but to announce it. From today onward—no, from this moment onward—it might mark the beginning of the Lin family's true rise and the decline of their City Lord's Mansion's Zhang family.
Lin Xuan, however, paid no attention to others' thoughts. He glanced at the attribute panel, where the energy points were skyrocketing at an even faster rate, and nodded slightly with satisfaction. As expected, his strategy had worked. Defeating Zhang He, who had been boosted to the late Opening Aperture Realm with a single punch, earned him far more energy points than if he had directly knocked out Zhang He before the secret technique was activated. Still, he was somewhat surprised by the power of the "Boiling Blood Art." It had increased Zhang He's strength so dramatically. That punch, though it sent Zhang He flying, had used nearly all of his own strength. Fortunately, he had achieved his goal.
With a smile, Lin Xuan jumped off the arena under the gaze of everyone present and walked back to the spectator stands. Returning to his seat, he accepted Lin Shiyun's congratulations and began chatting and laughing with her. He also noticed that Lin Shiyun seemed even happier than before, though he wasn't sure if it was just his imagination.
With this, the competition was nearing its end. All the matches had concluded. Zhang Ping also jumped off the arena and walked toward the high platform. The next part was no longer his responsibility; it was up to City Lord Zhang Wenyong to deliver the final remarks. But just as Zhang Wenyong stood up to make the announcement, the envoy from the Flowing Cloud Sect, Zhao Quxin, rose to his feet. This was not customary, and Zhang Wenyong was puzzled. However, since Qingyu City fell under the jurisdiction of the Flowing Cloud Sect, and Zhao Quxin's cultivation was a level higher than his own, his actual status was even greater. Zhang Wenyong dared not act rashly and could only remain seated, looking at Zhao Quxin. Everyone else on the field also turned their attention to the sect envoy.
Zhao Quxin scanned the crowd and declared in a clear voice, "The competition ends here, and the top ten have been decided. But today, I have something to say first. Within the territory under the Flowing Cloud Sect's jurisdiction, fairness and justice have always prevailed, with strength being paramount. The selection of disciples follows the same principle. However, during this competition, someone chose to cheat, undermining that fairness. Although this person did not succeed, the Flowing Cloud Sect takes a firm stance against such cheating and must eradicate it! Therefore, the cheater, Zhang He, is to be punished. He is to be removed from the top ten and stripped of his qualification to enter the Flowing Cloud Sect. Furthermore, the Zhang family, which harbored and abetted this cheating, will also face punishment. The Zhang family's management rights over all industries in Qingyu City are to be revoked for three years and transferred to the Lin family as compensation!"
After speaking, Zhao Quxin fixed a cold, piercing gaze on Zhang Wenyong beside him. Zhang Wenyong felt his very soul tremble, fear flashing in his eyes. He knew that if he dared to refuse, the envoy might cripple him on the spot. A small-city city lord meant little in the eyes of a Flowing Cloud Sect envoy. He quickly stood up, bowed respectfully, and replied, "Yes, envoy. The Zhang family accepts the punishment!" He hadn't expected that using the "Boiling Blood Art" to cheat would lead to such consequences. Qingyu City was too small, and they were unaware of the Flowing Cloud Sect's relevant rules and prohibitions. Otherwise, even in defeat, he wouldn't have made this choice. As for resistance, he had never even considered it. A small-city family was like an ant in the envoy's eyes, easily crushed with a wave of the hand. He and the entire City Lord's Mansion had no power to resist.
As his words fell, the field erupted in an uproar. No one had expected the situation to develop like this. But they also witnessed the might of the Flowing Cloud Sect firsthand—when an order came down, the strongest force in Qingyu City, the City Lord's Mansion, dared not offer the slightest resistance. At the same time, they felt even more envy and reverence for the top ten who were qualified to enter the Flowing Cloud Sect. On the square, Zhang He, already severely injured and nearly a bloody mess, was so enraged by the announcement that he spat blood and fainted on the spot. He was carried away by the City Lord's Mansion for treatment. The members of the City Lord's Mansion were all dejected and disheartened. This risky move had not only failed but had also boosted the Lin family's prestige and brought such severe punishment. It seemed that this time, the City Lord's Mansion would truly be unable to recover.
The members of the Chen and Wu families, the other two major forces, were equally somber. Although the City Lord's Mansion, the top power in Qingyu City, was in decline, they felt no joy. After all, they had secretly allied with the City Lord's Mansion to jointly oppose the Lin family. Now that the City Lord's Mansion had fallen, and the Lin family had gained such immense benefits, it was easy to imagine how much stronger the already formidable Lin family would become. Soon, the entire Qingyu City might be under the Lin family's absolute control. And all of this was brought about by Lin Xuan, the Lin family's number one genius. Without Lin Xuan's sudden rise, the original Lin family genius, Lin Yun, would not have been a match for Zhang He.