On the arena stage.
"How did I end up at a disadvantage? How is that possible?"
Lin Yun's face was also full of disbelief.
It took him a while to snap out of it.
Feeling the force of the earlier punch, he looked at Lin Xuan with a hint of shock in his eyes.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
After taking two deep breaths, Lin Yun said solemnly:
"Lin Xuan, for you to knock me back with one punch at the seventh layer of Body Tempering, it seems you might truly be the number one genius of our Lin family."
As his words fell, the arena stirred once more.
Everyone was utterly astonished.
Yet they couldn't deny it.
Lin Xuan, only at the seventh layer of Body Tempering, had sent Lin Yun, a peak ninth-layer Body Tempering cultivator, reeling with a single punch.
From this, it seemed Lin Xuan's talent might indeed surpass Lin Yun's.
He truly deserved the title of the Lin family's top genius.
Then, Lin Yun's voice continued to spread:
"However, you're still only at the seventh layer of Body Tempering, lacking in cultivation. In this match, I will still win."
As he spoke, Lin Yun revealed a smile, no longer cold as before.
Lin Xuan wasn't one of those who sought the spotlight out of arrogance; he genuinely had strength.
And since Lin Xuan was a member of the Lin family, the stronger he became, the greater the benefit to the family—and to Lin Yun himself.
He had no reason to resent it.
"Next, I won't hold back anymore," Lin Yun added with a faint smile.
"Neither will I," Lin Xuan replied with a light chuckle.
Since the other responded with a smile, he wouldn't be cold in return.
As their words settled, the crowd was shaken once more, even more incredulous.
Lin Yun, a peak ninth-layer Body Tempering cultivator and the Lin family's top genius, holding back with that earlier punch was understandable.
But Lin Xuan, only at the seventh layer of Body Tempering, even with great talent, was already impressive for matching Lin Yun.
Claiming he hadn't used his full strength seemed too much, didn't it?
No one could believe it.
Despite the earlier clash that silenced any mockery or ridicule toward Lin Xuan, they still weren't optimistic.
On the arena stage.
"Good!" Lin Yun's eyes lit up at the words, a look of delight on his face.
He hadn't found a peer opponent in a long time. Even the talented disciples from other major forces in Qingyu City were hard to fight without risking conflict between factions.
It was rare for Lin Xuan to be so confident.
If Lin Xuan could give him an exhilarating battle, what did it matter if he gave up the title of the Lin family's top genius?
With that, Lin Yun struck again.
"Collapsing Mountain Strike!"
It was still a fist technique.
A single punch unleashed, as if shattering mountains and rivers, with boundless might.
Where the fist shadow passed, the air instantly exploded into nothing.
Compared to the earlier punch, its power was several times greater.
The surrounding disciples all changed color, knowing they couldn't withstand this blow.
Even some Qi Opening stage stewards and managers looked serious.
They marveled at Lin Yun's talent.
The power of this punch had already surpassed the Body Tempering realm, rivaling that of a weaker early-stage Qi Opening cultivator.
Far beyond what the Body Tempering realm could withstand.
Everyone's eyes were fixed on the arena, anticipating what would come next.
On the arena stage.
Lin Xuan's expression also turned grave.
Lin Yun's punch posed a considerable threat to him.
No wonder he was the Lin family's top genius—his strength was indeed remarkable!
Lin Xuan sighed inwardly.
Then, he threw a punch as well.
"Collapsing Mountain Strike!"
The fist shot out like mountains and rivers crumbling, with unmatched force!
The crowd was jolted.
They weren't surprised that both Lin Xuan and Lin Yun used the same martial art.
Within the Lin family, direct-line disciples could freely choose first- and second-tier martial arts; there was no restriction.
But second-tier martial arts were far harder than first-tier.
Most Body Tempering disciples spent a lot of time and effort yet struggled even to grasp the basics.
It was far more convenient to practice first-tier martial arts.
What truly shocked everyone was that both Lin Xuan and Lin Yun had reached a considerable level of mastery with this second-tier martial art—the Minor Accomplishment stage.
To learn a higher-tier martial art and merely achieve entry was already commendable, but reaching Minor Accomplishment?
It left everyone utterly stunned.
They couldn't help but sigh repeatedly.
Now they saw what true genius meant.
Compared to Lin Xuan and Lin Yun, the other so-called geniuses of the Lin family seemed utterly ordinary.
And among the two, Lin Xuan was even more astonishing than Lin Yun.
Before today, Lin Xuan was just a minor talent below the three great geniuses.
But now, everyone realized how much Lin Xuan had been hiding.
Even if he lost this battle, he would no longer be ordinary.
At the very least, he was the Lin family's second genius.
He would surely attract the attention of the higher-ups and receive focused training.
As the crowd marveled, they also watched the duel on the arena.
Under everyone's gaze, their fist shadows collided once more.
Boom!
A thunderous sound rang out.
Ripples, faintly visible, spread through the surrounding air.
Both of them stepped back.
This time, each retreated seven or eight steps.
It was a draw.
The onlookers were deeply shocked.
If the first time was a coincidence, then the second was inevitable.
They never expected Lin Xuan to truly have the strength to match Lin Yun!
Everyone in the arena was stunned.
Even Lin Hai stood frozen in place, dumbfounded, unable to believe it.
On the arena stage.
"I was right—Lin Xuan, your talent is extraordinary," Lin Yun said, both shocked and delighted. "Again!"
"Bring it on!" Lin Xuan shouted back.
The two charged at each other.
"Collapsing Mountain Strike!"
"Collapsing Mountain Strike!"
Still the same martial art.
It was the strongest technique either of them currently possessed.
Boom, boom, boom...
The sounds of impact rang out continuously.
Shattering the air and spreading in all directions.
Almost everyone on the field stared intently at the two figures on the arena, moving swiftly, separating, and clashing again.
Their hearts were filled with awe.
None of them had expected this month's strength assessment to produce such a fierce battle.
Nor had they anticipated Lin Xuan's sudden rise—able to cross two cultivation levels and hold his own against Lin Yun, a peak ninth-layer Body Tempering cultivator, without falling behind!
Such a scene left them utterly shaken.
Time passed slowly.
The entire training ground fell silent, leaving only the sound of breathing and the thuds of their fists colliding on the arena.
Five minutes later.
Boom!
They exchanged another heavy blow and separated.
Standing on opposite sides of the arena, both panting heavily.
"Lin Xuan, you're strong," Lin Yun said, looking at Lin Xuan with admiration.
"You're not bad either," Lin Xuan replied with a light laugh.
Feeling the power surging through his body, Lin Xuan was pleasantly surprised—far more than before.
This fierce battle with Lin Yun had brought an unexpected gain.
It was beyond his expectations.
At that moment, the strength within his physique was slowly increasing.
Lin Xuan had a vague understanding of why.
It must be the effect of his enhanced talent.
Originally, his talent was decent among the Lin family disciples, but not top-tier.
But after copying and merging the talents of Lin Hai, Li He, Lin Yun, and others,
he had leaped to the very top of the Lin family.
Even the original top genius might not match him now.
And this improvement wasn't just a change in talent rank; it was subtly transforming his entire being, inside and out.
Making his physique truly that of a top-tier genius.