You see, even many true disciples and inner sect elders who have opened their spiritual realms might not necessarily comprehend one percent of artistic conception.
Yet Lin Xuan, a new disciple at the Qi Transformation stage, had achieved it!
This left Chen Xiao utterly stunned and incredulous.
But since it happened right before his eyes, he had no choice but to believe it.
However, at this moment, he had no time to dwell on it.
The sword light Lin Xuan had unleashed was already upon him.
The power of one percent sword intent was too formidable. Though Chen Xiao was a full major realm above Lin Xuan and possessed half-percent blade intent, he was utterly helpless against Lin Xuan.
Now, an overwhelming sense of lethal threat surged within him.
He knew that if he failed to withstand this strike, even a slight misstep would result in severe injury.
Chen Xiao dared not be careless in the slightest. True qi surged wildly from his dantian as he activated his half-percent blade intent and swung his blade once more.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
This time, Chen Xiao unleashed seven or eight blazing blade lights.
This was a desperate effort, disregarding the strain on his body.
Yet even so, all those blazing blade lights were as fragile as a thin pancake before the Gale Sword Light empowered by one percent sword intent.
The moment they clashed, they shattered.
They couldn't even diminish half the power of the Gale Sword Light.
Still, they managed to buy a few moments.
Chen Xiao had long realized that once Lin Xuan revealed his one percent sword intent, defeat was inevitable.
So, without any hesitation, he used the recoil from the collision of blade and sword lights to propel himself backward.
He flew straight off the arena platform and kept retreating until he was over a hundred meters away before stopping.
Yet even though Chen Xiao had actively evaded and retreated off the platform, the impact still churned his qi and blood. Unable to hold it in, a trace of blood seeped from the corner of his mouth.
Looking up at Lin Xuan on the platform, his shock deepened even further.
Such strength was likely comparable to most inner sect elites at the late Condensation Rotation stage!
On the platform.
The unstoppable Gale Sword Light continued downward. With no one to block it, it struck the arena.
Boom!
A terrifying explosion!
The entire square trembled several times as if struck by a massive earthquake.
In the distance, the disciples who had already moved outside the square were jolted into internal injuries, collapsing to the ground with cries of pain.
The several stewards around the platform also changed expression slightly, quickly rising and retreating backward.
They only stopped after retreating a hundred meters, still shaken.
They looked toward the platform.
By now, dust filled the air over the arena, obscuring their view.
Whoosh!
A gust of wind swept through, carrying away the haze.
The scene on the platform was revealed to everyone.
There, a deep crack ran straight through the center of the arena.
It had nearly split the entire platform in two.
Lin Xuan stood in place, his expression cold, slowly sheathing his sword.
As if nothing had happened.
Swish!
At the sight, everyone present widened their eyes, frozen in place, utterly unable to believe what they were seeing.
Their minds were plunged into endless shock.
Their thoughts seemed to turn to mush, barely functioning.
It took a long while before some began to regain their senses.
Hiss... hiss... hiss...
A chorus of sharp intakes of breath echoed through the air.
The crowd erupted like an explosion, buzzing with chaotic noise.
"Holy crap, damn it!!
What the hell just happened? This platform can withstand most inner sect elite battles—how did it end up like this?!"
"Senior Brother Chen Xiao lost? I didn't even see how he was defeated!"
"How long has it been, and it's already over?"
"Senior Brother Lin Xuan's strength... isn't it too much?"
"This isn't just strong—it's monstrous, insane!!"
"..."
The disciples buzzed with discussion, staring at the shattered platform and the calm Lin Xuan, utterly astounded.
Even now that they had come to their senses, their shock hadn't diminished in the slightest.
Because just moments ago, all they had seen was a whirlwind of fire and wind engulfing the entire arena.
But soon after, the ground shook as if an earthquake had struck.
By the time they reacted, Chen Xiao had already fallen off the platform in defeat, blood at the corner of his mouth, clearly injured.
The original arena was nearly split in two, left in ruins.
Lin Xuan stood on the platform, his expression cool, slowly sheathing his sword.
Before this, Chen Xiao had unleashed his half-percent blade intent, his power surging as he delivered a terrifyingly potent strike.
At that moment, they had all believed Chen Xiao would win.
Yet in just a few breaths, the scene had completely reversed.
It was almost like a total flip.
The gap was too vast.
They simply couldn't bring themselves to believe it.
Even now that they had snapped out of it, a deep sense of unreality lingered.
Because what they had witnessed was far too surreal.
Like a dream.
The disciples were once again awed by Lin Xuan.
This time, it wasn't just his talent, but his strength.
With a single strike that nearly cleaved the arena and forced Chen Xiao to retreat, his power was already on par with most inner sect elites.
It far surpassed them, ordinary inner sect disciples.
Their gazes toward Lin Xuan were now filled with reverence and awe, no longer daring to show any contempt.
Even though Lin Xuan had only been in the sect for a little over a month, while they had spent years in the inner sect.
It was still the same.
Because this was a world where strength reigned supreme, where the powerful dominated all.
So-called seniority meant nothing in the face of true power.
And the strength Lin Xuan had just displayed was far beyond their reach.
They no longer dared to treat him as before.
Among the crowd, standing farther back, Chen Yuze gazed at Lin Xuan on the platform, his expression dazed, still lost in shock, unable to fully recover. He murmured softly:
"Lin Xuan, I really did underestimate you."
He had never imagined that after losing to Lin Xuan in the grand competition, he had entered the inner sect in disappointment.
Yet in less than ten days, Lin Xuan had also joined the inner sect.
And the one advantage he had over Lin Xuan—his cultivation, a full major realm ahead—had been overtaken by Lin Xuan.
When they met again on this dueling ground, the veteran inner sect disciple, who had lost to him even after using his embryonic artistic conception, was effortlessly crushed by Lin Xuan.
The strength Lin Xuan displayed was more than ten times greater than during the grand competition.
But it didn't stop there. Soon after, several Qi Transformation late-stage disciples who challenged him were also instantly defeated.
Even Chen Anran, a Qi Transformation peak disciple wielding embryonic blade intent, fell to Lin Xuan.
And now, even Chen Xiao, a Condensation Rotation third-layer inner sect elite, had been forced to retreat.
Such power was almost beyond his imagination.
He simply couldn't bring himself to believe it!
His heart was consumed by endless shock at Lin Xuan, and even after several breaths, he hadn't recovered in the slightest.