On the arena stage, Wang Li spoke in a cold voice, "Come on, kid. Use your quasi-Saint Body. Let me see how strong it really is."
Upon hearing this, the crowd grew excited. The fight was finally about to begin.
However, Lin Xuan simply shook his head. "I don’t need to use my quasi-Saint Body to deal with you." He bent down, picked up a fallen leaf from the ground, and held it between his fingers with a smile. "This leaf is more than enough to handle you."
What?
Everyone was stunned. What did he mean? Did he really think he could defeat Wang Li with a single leaf? What a joke! Had he lost his mind?
The members of the Star Alliance burst out laughing. "That’s the biggest boast I’ve ever heard!"
Shen Tang rolled her eyes. "This kid... does he take us for idiots?"
He thinks he can defeat Wang Li with a leaf? Who does he think he is? Even a four-star Grandmaster couldn’t defeat Wang Li with a leaf! That would only be possible for a master swordsman who has comprehended Sword Intent. But something like Sword Intent is beyond the grasp of ordinary swordsmen, let alone a brat like Lin Xuan.
Even the members of the Supreme Palace were baffled.
What is going on? What is the Hall Master doing? Fighting with a leaf?
"Is he serious?" Zisu asked, her voice laced with anxiety. "Hall Master, don’t be careless! This Wang Li is very powerful."
Zhang Shaochu chimed in, "Yes, Hall Master! I heard his Physique is his specialty. You should just use your quasi-Saint Body and defeat him quickly."
They knew Lin Xuan was strong. They had personally seen him slay several late-stage three-star Grandmasters. But those victories had come after fierce battles where he went all out, relying on his powerful Physique. There was no way Lin Xuan could defeat a late-stage three-star Grandmaster with a single leaf.
But Lin Xuan just smiled. "Don’t worry. One leaf is more than enough to deal with him."
I’ve comprehended thirty percent of Sword Intent now. By infusing it into this leaf, it becomes sharper than any ordinary Treasure Sword. Dealing with a nobody like Wang Li will be as easy as flipping my hand.
"What?" The more Zisu and the others heard, the more horrified they became. Now, even they were beginning to think that their Hall Master had become far too arrogant.
They wanted to try and persuade him further, but up on the stage, Wang Li had reached the boiling point of his rage. He let out a furious roar, "You damn brat! How dare you look down on me! I’ll make you pay the price!"
As he finished speaking, he thrust out his palm. A metallic luster flickered across his hand, which seemed to transform into a Steel Hand as it descended mercilessly. At the same time, that metallic sheen began to spread across his entire body. From a distance, he looked as if he had become a man of iron.
The surrounding crowd gasped in awe. "What terrifying power! So this is Wang Li’s Physique!"
The members of the Star Alliance laughed boisterously. "The Iron Arm Technique! That’s Wang Li’s Iron Arm Technique! Once he uses it, his skin becomes like brass and his bones like iron. He’s practically invulnerable to swords and spears."
Shen Tang also let out a cold sneer. "I’d like to see just how this brat plans to defeat Wang Li with a leaf." In her opinion, it was absolutely impossible. He was about to be viciously humiliated.
"Brother, can he really do it?" Luo Mountain couldn’t believe it either. Although he had heard Lin Xuan was powerful, defeating a late-stage three-star Grandmaster with a single leaf seemed impossible.
Luo Rong, however, was the picture of calm. "Of course, he can," he said. "Just watch. Lin Xuan’s strength is far beyond your imagination."
The Steel Hand rapidly expanded, swelling until it resembled a small mountain as it fell from the sky, aiming to crush Lin Xuan. Just as it was about to strike, Lin Xuan finally made his move.
With a flick of his wrist, he summoned the Sword Intent from within his body and infused it into the leaf between his fingers. The leaf shot forward.
It transformed into a streak of lightning, instantly colliding with the Steel Hand. With a thunderous BOOM, the Steel Hand was pierced straight through. But the leaf didn’t stop there. It continued its flight, striking Wang Li’s body. His skin of brass and bones of iron were penetrated in an instant.
A bloody hole appeared on his torso, with spiderweb cracks spreading out from the wound. As if struck by a lightning bolt, Wang Li was sent flying backward, scattering a trail of blood through the air.
"What?"
"Heavens!"
"How is this possible?!"
The entire arena was in an uproar. Everyone stared at the scene, completely stupefied. A moment ago, they were all mocking Lin Xuan for his ridiculous boasting. But in the blink of an eye, he had actually defeated Wang Li with a single leaf.
The spectators were dumbfounded.
The Star Alliance was dumbfounded!
Shen Tang was dumbfounded!
Zisu was dumbfounded!
Zhang Shaochu was dumbfounded!
Luo Mountain was dumbfounded!
Every single person was completely and utterly dumbfounded!
Staring at the scene, their minds went blank.
"Hmph. Pathetically weak." Lin Xuan snorted coldly. "You couldn’t even block a single leaf I threw, yet you dared to challenge me? How ridiculous."
"I’ll make this clear right now," he declared, his sonorous voice spreading in all directions and making the very air tremble. "If anyone dares to target my Supreme Palace again, don’t blame me for not being courteous."
The crowd shuddered, the sound of his voice snapping them out of their stupor. A wave of shocked cries immediately followed.
"Heavens! That was incredible!"
"He wasn’t boasting! He actually did it!"
"He defeated a late-stage three-star Grandmaster with a leaf!"
"Holy crap, that’s just absurd!"
"And Wang Li isn’t just any late-stage three-star. He cultivated the Iron Arm Technique! His Physique is like brass skin and iron bones; even others at his level can’t hurt him!"
"But Lin Xuan wounded him with a single leaf! How on earth did he do that?"
"Is he really that strong?"
"I think his strength must have surpassed the late-stage three-star level. He must be a four-star Grandmaster!"
"Otherwise, there’s no way he could be this powerful!"
"But even an average four-star Grandmaster couldn’t beat Wang Li with a leaf... unless he’s a master of the Sword Dao."
Gasps of shock echoed through the arena as everyone seemed to go mad.
The members of the Star Alliance could no longer laugh. Their faces were filled with terror as they looked at Lin Xuan. Shen Tang’s expression was uglier than ever. She had been waiting to see Lin Xuan make a fool of himself, but instead, she was the one who had been thoroughly humiliated. Lin Xuan had created yet another miracle.
"Damn it! How did this kid get so strong?!" Shen Tang ground her teeth so hard they nearly shattered. Two months ago, he was her equal. But two months later, he had completely surpassed her.
This rate of advancement is like something from a myth... It’s terrifying enough to drive one to despair.
On the other side of the arena, Luo Mountain almost fell to his knees.
To be honest, Wang Li was even stronger than I am. He had skin of brass and bones of iron, after all. But what was the result? In front of Lin Xuan, he was utterly crushed, defeated in an instant! If I had been the one to fight, my fate would be just as miserable as Wang Li’s right now.
Thinking of this, his back became drenched in a cold sweat. He was thankful that he had backed down quickly enough and hadn’t dared to continue making moves against the Supreme Palace. He had narrowly escaped a disaster.
Luo Rong patted his younger brother’s shoulder. "See that? This is Lin Xuan’s true strength. He not only possesses the combat power of a four-star Grandmaster, but he has also grasped thirty percent of Sword Intent. Ordinary four-star Grandmasters are no match for him, to say nothing of a fool like Wang Li. From now on, you must never provoke him again. Understand?"
Luo Mountain nodded vigorously, vowing that he would never make an enemy of Lin Xuan for the rest of his life.
Meanwhile, Zisu, Zhang Shaochu, and the others were equally stunned.
Lin Xuan had actually won!
He really defeated a late-stage three-star Grandmaster with a single leaf!
Heavens, it was incredible!
A moment later, they burst into excited cheers. "The Hall Master is mighty! The Hall Master is invincible!"
Lin Xuan was their Hall Master. The stronger he became, the higher the status of the Supreme Palace would rise, and their own status would rise along with it. They were thrilled beyond words.
Wang Li’s face was deathly pale. Today, he had truly kicked an iron plate. He had lost all face. Being defeated by a new student with a leaf would surely make him the eternal laughingstock of the Sacred Institute. At that thought, he wished he could just die. Damn it all! If he had known his opponent was this powerful, he wouldn’t have dared to attack, not even if he were beaten to death for it. He was consumed by regret.
Just then, Lin Xuan began walking toward him.
Wang Li’s body trembled with fear, and he shrieked, "Stay away from me!"
Lin Xuan walked over and kicked him. Wang Li flew through the air like a sandbag, landing in a heap right at Shen Tang’s feet.
Lin Xuan fixed his gaze on Shen Tang and said coldly, "Take your people and get lost. If you dare to provoke me again, I’ll deal with you directly."
A flicker of Sword Intent flashed in Lin Xuan’s eyes. His gaze was like a Divine Sword piercing straight into Shen Tang. She stumbled back in fright and fell to the ground. For that single instant, she felt as if Lin Xuan’s gaze alone could kill her. Terrified, she didn’t dare to linger for another second. She scrambled to her feet and fled.
The other members of the Star Alliance also scattered and ran.
And just like that, the battle was over.
News of the event spread like wildfire, quickly reaching every corner of the Sacred Institute. For a time, the entire institution was in a frenzy.
When Gu Xinghe received the news, he was just as shocked as everyone else. To be honest, he hadn’t thought much of Lin Xuan before, never imagining he could be so powerful. Moreover, he was a master of the Sword Dao who could defeat a body of brass skin and iron bones with a single leaf! Thinking back on Jin Ze’s death, he now had a strong suspicion that it might have been Lin Xuan who killed him.
No, I have to tell Master about this immediately.
With that thought, he turned and hurried away. He arrived at Elder Lei’s palace and exclaimed, "Master, I have a major discovery! It’s possible Jin Ze wasn’t killed by someone from the Great Yan Holy Land. It might have been Lin Xuan who killed him!"
Inside the palace, Elder Lei opened his eyes and frowned. "Why are you still bringing up that fellow Jin Ze? I have already expelled him from my tutelage. His life and death have nothing to do with me. Besides, you claim Lin Xuan killed Jin Ze? That’s even more impossible. Lin Xuan’s talent is indeed good, and his Physique is strong. He achieved a quasi-Saint Body at such a young age. However, he has never practiced Swordsmanship. He knows nothing about it. How could he possibly kill Jin Ze using Swordsmanship?"
Elder Lei simply didn’t believe it.