After a long moment, Chen Yuze finally snapped back to reality, a bitter smile spreading across his face. He had truly witnessed Lin Xuan’s talent firsthand. Was this not among the very top of the sect’s disciples? Compared to Lin Xuan, he felt like one was in the heavens and the other on the ground. The gap was so vast that there was no comparison at all. He no longer harbored any thought of competing with Lin Xuan, only able to look up from afar.
At the same time, a strange notion arose in his heart. Was this really Lin Xuan’s full strength? Could Lin Xuan still be holding something back? Perhaps Chen Xiao had only managed to force out this much? And what if Lin Xuan had already comprehended a tenth of sword intent while still an outer disciple? Back then, given his own strength, he might have only been able to push Lin Xuan to use half of that sword intent?
Thinking of these possibilities, Chen Yuze’s heart trembled violently, almost losing control. It took him a long while to let out a deep breath, then he quickly shook his head. That’s impossible. Chen Yuze murmured to himself. If it were true, then Lin Xuan wouldn’t just be a prodigy—he’d be a monster. That would be too terrifying, wouldn’t it?! He dared not believe it.
A hundred meters from the arena, several stewards stood with eyes wide, frozen in shock for a long time. Only when the crowd began to stir did they snap out of it. They exchanged glances, each seeing the profound astonishment in the other’s eyes. “Is that... a tenth of sword intent?!” “Lin Xuan comprehended a tenth of sword intent just a month after joining?” “The power of sword intent is this strong? Even we late-stage Condensation Whirl cultivators can’t withstand it?” “...”
The stewards murmured among themselves. Yet their gazes were fixed on Lin Xuan, filled with shock that refused to settle. Especially when they recalled that after Lin Xuan unleashed that sword strike, even they couldn’t endure it and had to retreat a hundred meters before barely managing to cope. Their inner shock deepened even further.
And when they remembered that Lin Xuan was just a new disciple—not only a new inner disciple but a pure newcomer who had only been in the sect for a little over a month— He had not only cultivated at an astonishing speed, breaking through several major realms from the early Aperture Opening stage to the mid Qi Transformation stage, but had also comprehended a tenth of sword intent. Once revealed, its power was so immense that even they, who had been in the sect for decades, couldn’t withstand it and were no match for him. In comparison, the stewards were even more horrified by Lin Xuan’s talent. Such terrifying talent—even the core disciples might fall short, right? At the very least, no core disciple had ever performed like Lin Xuan at the Qi Transformation stage.
Thinking of this, they couldn’t help but draw in a sharp breath. The way they looked at Lin Xuan shifted as well. It was no longer the appreciation of an elder for a junior, but rather the awe and respect one holds for a superior! Because at this moment, the strength Lin Xuan displayed had already surpassed their own. Even if he couldn’t compare to those on the ranking list, among the elite inner disciples, he stood at the top.
And realizing that they had cultivated for decades, most of their lives, only to be outdone by a new disciple who had been here a month— as if the previous decades of cultivation had been wasted— the stewards wore bitter smiles, a sense of defeat washing over them. Such top-tier talent truly makes one despair!
On the arena. Lin Xuan’s expression remained cold, but his heart was also shaken. Looking at the arena, which he had largely destroyed, he felt a pang of seriousness. He hadn’t expected the power of a tenth of sword intent to be this strong—likely comparable to an ordinary late-stage Condensation Whirl cultivator who hadn’t comprehended any artistic conception. He hadn’t anticipated this before unleashing it. He had only thought that he couldn’t afford to lose this duel. Since Chen Xiao had used half of his blade intent, combined with his third-layer Condensation Whirl cultivation, the resulting power was something even an ordinary late-stage Condensation Whirl cultivator might not withstand. The strength Lin Xuan had shown before was insufficient, so he decided to reveal a bit more. Thus, he unleashed a tenth of sword intent.
This was also the first time he had used a tenth of sword intent. Paired with the high-grade sixth-tier Fierce Wind Sword Technique, its power surged exponentially. Chen Xiao’s full-force strike, the Crimson Flame Blade Light, had little resistance and was easily crushed. If Lin Xuan hadn’t forcibly controlled it, and if Chen Xiao hadn’t realized he couldn’t match it and dodged proactively, that strike would have severely wounded Chen Xiao.
But even so, Lin Xuan couldn’t fully control such a powerful Fierce Wind Sword Light. In the end, he had to let it land on the arena. Consequently, most of the dueling arena was destroyed. The residual energy scattered, injuring the surrounding disciples to varying degrees. Such power had exceeded his imagination.
“Looks like I still need to focus on improving my cultivation first,” Lin Xuan murmured to himself as he surveyed the scene. At the fourth layer of Qi Transformation, barely reaching mid-stage, unleashing a tenth of sword intent could already rival a peak Condensation Whirl cultivator—a terrifying feat. What about the late Qi Transformation stage, or even the Condensation Whirl stage? The top priority was still to concentrate on raising his cultivation level.
As for artistic conception comprehension, which was more difficult and crucial for other martial artists, Lin Xuan ignored it entirely. With the replication system at his disposal, he could simply copy others’ insights without wasting time on personal comprehension. He only needed to focus on advancing his cultivation realm to ensure he could fully unleash the power of his artistic conception. Additionally, he decided not to consider using higher-level artistic conceptions for now. This time, using a tenth of sword intent had nearly gotten out of control. If he attempted a higher level, he might injure himself before even harming his enemy.
Countless thoughts raced through his mind. After some deliberation, Lin Xuan’s heart calmed down. He had formed some ideas. Turning to look at the referee, intending to have him announce the result, he was startled. At this moment, he was the only one left on the arena—no one else. Lin Xuan shook his head slightly and looked toward the stewards a hundred meters away.
The steward responsible for recording and managing Lin Xuan’s arena stepped forward, smiling bitterly: “Don’t bother looking. That referee was sent flying by the shockwaves from your fight earlier. He’s injured and has been taken away for treatment.” Lin Xuan’s expression showed a flicker of realization. He hadn’t expected things to turn out this way. But he didn’t care much about it. He continued to look at the steward.
The steward nodded and announced loudly: “Since the referee is no longer here, I’ll take charge of announcing the final result. This duel, Lin Xuan wins!”
As the words fell, a wave of sighs and murmurs rippled through the crowd of disciples outside the square. Before the competition, no one had thought that Lin Xuan, a new disciple, would emerge victorious. But now, Lin Xuan had proven everyone wrong. He had once again burst forth with even greater strength, using a tenth of sword intent to crush Chen Xiao, an elite inner disciple, and secure victory in the duel. This had once again broken a record within the inner sect.
Everyone had now come to their senses, deeply shaken by Lin Xuan’s strength and talent, while also feeling a profound sense of awe. They all knew that a remarkable figure was about to emerge in the inner sect.