Chen Yuze’s gaze fell on Lin Xuan, his eyes wide with disbelief and shock.
Before the duel began, he had sensed that Lin Xuan’s aura was stronger than his own, clearly indicating that Lin Xuan had surpassed him in cultivation. Coupled with Lin Xuan’s already formidable combat prowess, Chen Yuze had anticipated the outcome of this duel. But in his mind, it should have been a fierce, prolonged battle, with Lin Xuan barely scraping by in the end. Yet what happened? With a single punch, Lin Xuan had instantly defeated Sun Cheng. He hadn’t even revealed his full strength, let alone his artistic conception. And Sun Cheng was the one who had defeated Chen Yuze even after unleashing the rudimentary form of his sword intent. Now, under Lin Xuan’s hand, he was utterly powerless. The stark contrast was so great that even Chen Yuze found it hard to accept.
After a long pause, he let out a deep sigh, which turned into a bitter smile. He hadn’t expected Lin Xuan to not only enter the inner sect so quickly, surpassing him in strength, but also far exceed him in cultivation. Lin Xuan’s talent was once again beyond Chen Yuze’s expectations. Even having witnessed it once before, he was still stunned by Lin Xuan’s terrifying aptitude. He no longer harbored any thought of competing with Lin Xuan.
The commotion on the field gradually subsided into silence. Almost everyone on the dueling grounds turned their gaze toward Lin Xuan’s platform, shaken by his performance. Even the spectators around the other platforms did the same, no longer paying attention to the matches on their own. The fighters still engaged on those platforms could only let out bitter laughs. They had come to the dueling grounds not only to earn spirit stones and contribution points and hone their martial skills but also to bask in the spotlight of the crowd’s attention. Yet, with Lin Xuan’s arrival, no one cared about them anymore, thwarting their purpose. All they could do was smile wryly in resignation. After all, who could blame them for running into a top-tier genius like Lin Xuan? He had only just entered the inner sect and had already instantly killed Sun Cheng, a cultivator at the sixth layer of the Qi Transformation stage. His true strength was likely not far off from the peak of the Qi Transformation stage. And Lin Xuan had only been in the sect for a little over a month—less than forty days—yet he had already reached such a level of cultivation and power. His talent and potential were truly terrifying! Even if they could defeat him, they wouldn’t dare to offend such a monstrous prodigy with limitless potential. In this situation, they could only count themselves unlucky.
The numerous Condensation Realm stewards on the field were also deeply shaken, their faces filled with shock. They hadn’t expected Lin Xuan to not only cultivate at such a rapid pace but also grow in strength so steadily, without any signs of instability. It was truly awe-inspiring and fearsome! Their hearts trembled with astonishment.
On the platform.
“Ding, congratulations to the host for gaining 2000 shock energy from Yuan Tianyu, a peak Condensation Realm martial artist.” “Ding, congratulations to the host for gaining 1645 shock energy from Sun Hua, a seventh-layer Condensation Realm martial artist.” “...”
Lin Xuan looked at the void before him, where the energy points on his attribute panel were rapidly increasing. A glint of satisfaction flashed in his eyes as he nodded slightly. This had netted him a good amount of energy points. He could also earn some spirit stones and contribution points, which was quite nice. Unfortunately, he couldn’t replicate anything. The highest cultivation levels on the field were a few late-stage Condensation Realm stewards. But whether it was these stewards or the many inner sect disciples, the treasures they carried were far inferior to those of the Outer Sect Grand Elder and the true disciple Xu Anlan. Their grades and types were much lower. Even if he replicated them, there would be little improvement. So there was no need to waste energy points on replication. For now, he would just focus on earning cultivation resources and energy points at the dueling grounds. As for replicating treasures, he would wait until he visited the Martial Arts Pavilion or other inner sect halls.
With that, Lin Xuan turned to the still-dazed referee and said, “Referee, shouldn’t you announce the result?”
“Oh.” The referee snapped back to reality at Lin Xuan’s voice, looking at him with a complex expression. He, too, hadn’t expected the match to end like this. Lin Xuan had crushed Sun Cheng as if he were nothing. The two weren’t even on the same level. It seemed Lin Xuan’s talent was even greater than the rumors suggested. The referee had been stunned for a long time before coming to his senses. He knew the inner sect would soon be in turmoil. Before long—perhaps not even a few months—a new name would likely appear on the Strength Ranking. Then, the referee announced loudly, “This duel, Lin Xuan wins! Lin Xuan becomes the new platform holder!”
As the words fell, the crowd erupted in uproar. Everyone snapped back to reality, deeply stirred. The way they looked at Lin Xuan had completely changed. Gone were the mockery and disdain they had shown toward a new disciple, replaced by awe and reverence. Lin Xuan had proven everything with his strength. No one dared to treat him as a newcomer anymore. In this world, strength reigned supreme. All rules and unspoken conventions had to yield before absolute power.
Beside Platform Three.
The steward looked at Lin Xuan and said solemnly, “Lin Xuan, do you wish to continue dueling and defend the platform? If so, set your stakes and wait for challengers. If not, come over, and I’ll transfer the five hundred contribution points you’ve won back to you.”
“I choose to continue defending the platform,” Lin Xuan said calmly. This was a great opportunity to earn cultivation resources and energy points, so he would only leave after reaping enough.
“As for the stakes, let’s set them based on cultivation level. Late-stage Qi Transformation cultivators can all challenge me. For the seventh layer of Qi Transformation, the stake is one thousand contribution points. For the eighth layer, two thousand. For the ninth layer, three thousand. For the peak of Qi Transformation, five thousand. Of course, inner sect elites at the Condensation Realm can also fight. The stakes would be much higher—at least ten thousand. We can determine the exact amount when the duel begins. Steward, is this acceptable?”
The steward didn’t respond, frozen in place. Everyone on the field was stunned by Lin Xuan’s words. Had they heard correctly? Lin Xuan was saying that Condensation Realm cultivators could also challenge him? It was one thing to take on late-stage Qi Transformation cultivators at the seventh, eighth, or ninth layers, or even the peak of Qi Transformation. But to challenge the Condensation Realm? Was he crazy? Or had Lin Xuan, after a streak of victories without a single loss, grown arrogant, believing himself invincible—even against inner sect elites at the Condensation Realm? Arrogant and conceited, looking down on everyone else. It wasn’t uncommon for someone to become haughty after achieving some success, thinking no one else mattered. In the eyes of the crowd, that was exactly what Lin Xuan was doing now. Instantly, the way they looked at him changed again, reverting to mockery and disdain. With just a few words, Lin Xuan seemed to have become a villain, and everyone unconsciously forgot the awe-inspiring performance he had just delivered.