Soon, half a quarter-hour passed.
On the high platform, the Grand Elder’s voice rang out again:
“Rest time is over. The fourth round of the competition, the top three ranking matches, officially begins!”
On the arena, Steward Zhang then announced in a clear voice:
“First match of the fourth round: Lin Xuan versus Guan Yuanshuang!”
As his voice fell, a considerable stir arose from the crowd.
This was only natural, since Chen Yuze was widely recognized as the top contender, placed behind them. After Lin Xuan and Guan Yuanshuang settled their match, the winner would face Chen Yuze to determine the ultimate first place. The crowd wasn’t particularly concerned about that; what truly excited them was the duel between Lin Xuan and Guan Yuanshuang.
Lin Xuan had previously instantly defeated Zhou Lei, the second-strongest outer disciple, so he should be able to win this time too. The question was how many moves it would take—whether he could achieve another instant kill. Everyone was eagerly anticipating it.
Then, under the gaze of everyone present, Lin Xuan and Guan Yuanshuang stepped out from the crowd and onto the arena.
“Begin the match!”
Steward Zhang declared.
His eyes swept over the two, a glint of anticipation flashing through them. The previous battle had ended too quickly; he hadn’t even reacted. This time, he needed to pay attention, just to gauge the strength of this newly emerged top-tier genius, Lin Xuan.
“Senior Brother Lin, please go easy on me!”
On the opposite side, Guan Yuanshuang cupped her hands, her expression solemn. She directly addressed Lin Xuan, a new disciple, as “Senior Brother.” In the martial world, strength came first, age second. Since Lin Xuan had instantly defeated Zhou Lei, his strength had surpassed hers, so calling him senior brother was no issue.
Yet this caused an uproar across the square. Even when facing Chen Yuze among the outer disciples, Guan Yuanshuang had never used such a title, but now she did for Lin Xuan, a newcomer. This shocked the disciples greatly.
Guan Yuanshuang, however, ignored this and continued to look at Lin Xuan, a flicker of admiration in her eyes. Lin Xuan had a tall, slender figure and a handsome face, with such extraordinary talent. It truly made her heart stir a little. But unfortunately, Lin Xuan seemed too cold and ruthless, striking without mercy. She feared being severely injured, so she spoke up in advance. As a woman, a serious injury would be quite inconvenient.
“Mm.”
Lin Xuan responded indifferently.
Hearing this, a faint smile appeared on Guan Yuanshuang’s cool face, sending many disciples in the square into a daze.
“Then, Senior Brother Lin, I’ll make my move!”
In an instant, Guan Yuanshuang’s expression turned cold again. A red whip appeared in her hand, and with a light flick, she attacked Lin Xuan. It transformed like a spirit snake, coiling toward him. Its force was considerable, producing sharp cracking sounds in the air. If it struck an ordinary peak Qi Condensation disciple, it would leave a bloody welt.
The crowd snapped back to attention, their hearts tightening. No wonder she was one of the top three outer disciples—a casual strike was far beyond what they could withstand. They turned their gaze to Lin Xuan. How would he respond?
So far, Lin Xuan had displayed overwhelming, domineering power. This straightforward force seemed perfectly countered by the gentle whip technique. Even if Lin Xuan won, he’d have to struggle a bit, wouldn’t he? Many disciples speculated inwardly.
Then, on the arena, Lin Xuan’s expression remained unchanged as he struck out with a palm.
Whoosh!
In an instant, a roaring gale surged forth, sending the snake-like whip flying back. With a casual move, Lin Xuan nullified Guan Yuanshuang’s attack. The crowd was shaken. Was this what a top-tier genius looked like? Too strong, right?
Guan Yuanshuang’s expression shifted slightly. She hadn’t expected her whip technique, designed to overcome force with softness, to be ineffective against Lin Xuan. Hadn’t he only been a disciple for a month? A month wasn’t even enough to raise his cultivation level, so where did he get so many powerful martial arts? She simply couldn’t understand it.
At the same time, she gained a clearer grasp of Lin Xuan’s terrifying talent. It was even greater than she had imagined! It seemed this match was a sure loss for her. For one thing, this palm technique alone countered her whip, combined with Lin Xuan’s own domineering strength. She couldn’t win anymore.
Fortunately, Zhou Lei had faced Lin Xuan early and was already eliminated from the top three, ranking behind her. And once Chen Yuze entered the inner sect, she’d become second, a slight improvement. Besides, if she could last a few moves against Lin Xuan, it would count as a decent showing, at least proving she was stronger than Zhou Lei.
Still, thinking that she, a top-three outer disciple, had such a mindset facing a newcomer like Lin Xuan, she couldn’t help but smile bitterly. There was no helping it—Lin Xuan’s talent was too high, too monstrous. The two were on completely different levels. She could only accept this.
Then, Guan Yuanshuang looked at Lin Xuan, ready to strike again. But this time, Lin Xuan had no intention of continuing.
“Time to end this!”
Lin Xuan murmured softly. An instant kill and a mere defeat yielded completely different energy points. He naturally chose the former.
He took a step forward, a gentle breeze passing by. Lin Xuan’s figure at the original spot slowly faded—it was just an afterimage. Meanwhile, Lin Xuan appeared before Guan Yuanshuang, delivering a palm strike.
“Wind-Pushing Palm!”
The palm wind was fierce, howling without cease, surging with power. Its momentum was several times stronger than the previous strike.
“So fast!”
Guan Yuanshuang’s face changed drastically. As one of the top three outer disciples and the fastest among them—even Chen Yuze, before breaking through to the Qi Transformation stage, couldn’t match her in speed—she now couldn’t even track Lin Xuan’s movement. This shocked her to the core. His attack power was already this formidable, and his movement technique was this terrifying! Just how strong was Lin Xuan, and how many more tricks did he have hidden? It was as if he had no weaknesses at all. Hadn’t he only been a disciple for a month? How could he be this powerful!
Guan Yuanshuang could barely accept it. But now, she had no time to dwell on it. Lin Xuan’s palm force had already descended. The violent wind surged like rolling waves, unstoppable. She had to muster all her strength to block it—she couldn’t be instantly defeated!
Unfortunately, Guan Yuanshuang had underestimated it. Only when the palm wind truly struck did she feel its terrifying power. The force, like towering waves, seemed to transform into a natural disaster, its might unimaginable! In an instant, it shattered her defense.
Guan Yuanshuang could no longer hold on. She felt a tightness in her chest and was sent flying backward, off the arena and onto the square. The world spun, her vision blurred, and when she could see clearly again, she was on the ground below the arena. She let out a muffled groan, a trace of blood trickling from the corner of her mouth.
A bitter smile appeared in Guan Yuanshuang’s eyes. As expected, she had lost, and by instant defeat as well.
“Thank you, Senior Brother Lin, for holding back!”
She then cupped her hands toward Lin Xuan on the arena. Lin Xuan, as the rumors said, struck without mercy. Fortunately, he had changed his attack method, and her injuries were far lighter than Zhou Lei’s broken bones.