Originally, this process would have taken a considerable amount of time. But now, the fierce battle with Lin Yun had greatly accelerated it. Lin Xuan could feel every aspect of his physique improving at a perceptible rate. He believed that before long, his strength would surge once again. By then, he should be able to force Lin Yun back. Lin Xuan thought to himself.
Then, he turned his gaze to Lin Yun, his fighting spirit surging. After resting a bit and recovering somewhat, Lin Xuan let out a loud shout: "Again!" "Good!"
Both charged at each other, their fists colliding heavily. Bang, bang, bang... The resounding echoes continued unabated. The surrounding crowd stared at the arena, stunned and lost in shock.
Unknowingly, several more minutes passed. "Look!" Suddenly, a cry of surprise rang out. The crowd snapped to attention and followed the sound. Instantly, they were even more astonished.
On the arena, Lin Xuan and Lin Yun exchanged a punch. This time, Lin Xuan only stepped back three paces, while Lin Yun retreated a full ten. Moreover, Lin Xuan immediately pressed the attack again, forcing Lin Yun back even further. At this moment, the situation on the arena had clearly shifted dramatically. It was Lin Xuan, at the seventh level of Body Tempering, who now held the upper hand!
The crowd could hardly believe it. But this scene unfolded right before their eyes, leaving them no choice but to accept it. As their shock reached its peak, the tide of battle became increasingly clear. At first, Lin Xuan only had a slight advantage. But soon after, Lin Yun was being driven back repeatedly, his ability to resist weakening at an alarming rate.
Lin Yun’s expression was one of horror. His gaze at Lin Xuan was filled with shock and disbelief. Originally, he had thought the fight would end in a draw, or that he had a fair chance of winning. After all, he was at the peak of the ninth level of Body Tempering, two levels above Lin Xuan. Even if Lin Xuan’s talent surpassed his, it shouldn’t have been easy to bridge that gap. But he never expected that as the battle raged on, Lin Xuan’s strength would visibly increase. And it grew more and more ferocious.
At first, he could still hold his ground, but later, when Lin Xuan threw a punch, the air vibrated with explosive sounds, its power multiplied several times over. The sheer force emanating from it made Lin Yun tremble involuntarily. He knew then that he could no longer withstand it. He could only dodge and evade. But what he hadn’t anticipated was that Lin Xuan’s speed was also improving alongside his strength. Even dodging became incredibly difficult.
After a while longer, Lin Yun, exhausted from the intense battle, could no longer resist. Lin Xuan landed a punch squarely on his chest. Bang! A thunderous explosion! Lin Yun, as if struck by a boulder, spat out a mouthful of blood and flew backward, landing beneath the arena with a dull thud.
Whoosh! In an instant, the arena fell into dead silence. Everyone stared at the scene, frozen like puppets, utterly dumbfounded. Their eyes were fixed on Lin Xuan, filled with disbelief. It took several breaths before anyone slowly came to their senses. Hiss, hiss, hiss... A wave of sharp intakes of breath echoed through the crowd.
Not just in the square, but also among the onlookers from other forces in Qingyu City and the Lin family elders on the high platform. The arena erupted like a powder keg. "Heavens, am I hallucinating today? I actually saw Lin Yun lose!" "Lin Yun, the Lin family’s top genius, actually lost?" "And he was defeated by Lin Xuan, who’s only at the seventh level of Body Tempering? This is too absurd!" "I never thought even Lin Yun would fall to Lin Xuan. It seems Lin Xuan is the true top genius of the Lin family!" "..."
Everyone buzzed with discussion, boiling over with excitement. Yet their gazes never left Lin Xuan. Even after snapping out of their shock, the awe in their eyes didn’t diminish; instead, it deepened. Though many had anticipated Lin Yun’s possible defeat when he fell behind, no one expected it to happen so quickly. By the time they came to their senses, Lin Yun had already been knocked off the arena by Lin Xuan.
Lin Yun was the Lin family’s top genius, one of the four great geniuses of Qingyu City, alongside those from the Wu family, Chen family, and the City Lord’s Mansion. His strength rivaled that of weaker early-stage Orifice Opening cultivators. His position was far more solid than someone like Lin Hai. Yet even so, Lin Yun had lost—defeated by Lin Xuan, who was only at the seventh level of Body Tempering. How could they not be utterly astounded?
Among the crowd, Lin Shiyun’s heart also trembled violently. She hadn’t expected Lin Xuan to win. Then, her shock turned into ecstasy. "Brother Lin Xuan, this is wonderful... maybe we have a chance..." Lin Shiyun murmured excitedly, still muttering unclear words.
On the other side, Lin Hai was completely different. Staring at Lin Xuan, who commanded everyone’s attention on the arena, he was filled with disbelief. "How is this possible? How can Lin Xuan be this strong?! Even Brother Lin Yun lost!" Lin Hai muttered in disbelief. After a moment, he snapped out of it, his eyes turning to fear. He moved subtly, quietly retreating backward. He wanted to slip away from the training ground.
Earlier, he had repeatedly targeted and schemed against Lin Xuan. Now that Lin Xuan had revealed his talent, unleashed his power, and seized the title of the Lin family’s top genius, Lin Hai was both shocked and terrified of retaliation. At that moment, his only thought was to leave the training ground, return home, and go into secluded cultivation. At the very least, until he could surpass Lin Xuan, he would avoid provoking him entirely. If he encountered Lin Xuan, he would steer clear by a wide margin.
Because Lin Xuan’s defeat of Lin Yun had captured everyone’s attention, Lin Hai managed to escape unnoticed.
On the high platform, the Lin family elders also had their eyes fixed on Lin Xuan, deeply shaken. Even with their far greater experience compared to the younger disciples, they were stunned by Lin Xuan’s achievement. Defeating a peak ninth-level Body Tempering cultivator while only at the seventh level—none of them had ever witnessed such a feat in their lifetimes. To accomplish this, Lin Xuan’s talent was clearly extraordinary. They were all profoundly shocked.
Family head Lin Qixing, upon seeing Lin Xuan defeat his own son Lin Yun, felt no anger. Instead, he showed appreciation and delight. Even the lingering resentment in his heart dissipated. Lin Xuan’s ability to overcome a two-level gap and defeat Lin Yun proved that his talent far exceeded Lin Hai’s. After all, Lin Yun, as the Lin family’s top genius, already possessed talent at the pinnacle of Qingyu City. Yet Lin Xuan’s talent surpassed even his.
This revealed Lin Xuan’s immense potential. If he grew to his full strength, he would undoubtedly bring immeasurable benefits to the Lin family in the future. Lin Qixing was not just Lin Yun’s father; he was also the family head. How could he dislike a genius so beneficial to the family’s growth? On the contrary, he should nurture him greatly.
Beside him, Grand Elder Lin Qiyu’s expression shifted between gloom and uncertainty. He snorted coldly but said nothing more.