5: Chapter 5 Arena Melee

The Qingyun Sect Outer Sect plaza covers a thousand mu, paved with bluestone, capable of accommodating tens of thousands of people. At this moment, the plaza is a sea of people, with waves of sound reaching the heavens. The triennial Outer Sect Grand Competition is the only Opportunity for the lowest-ranked Disciples of the Qingyun Sect to leap over the dragon gate and change their destiny, attracting almost every Outer Sect Disciple to watch, and even many Inner Sect Disciples, deacons, and Elders hiding on the surrounding spectator stands, focusing on this grand event.

In the center of the plaza stand ten huge arenas, three zhang high and a hundred zhang in circumference, cast from dark iron and engraved with sturdy runes, capable of withstanding full-power attacks from below the Foundation Establishment Stage. This is the venue for the first stage of the Grand Competition—the Arena Melee.

Lin Wan stands in the crowd, wearing a washed-out cyan Outer Sect Disciple robe, appearing unremarkable among the crowd of people with various attires and complex auras. But his gaze is calm and sharp, like a drawn sword, scanning his surroundings.

His Qi Refining Great Perfection cultivation, coupled with the embryonic form of Sword Intent and the cultivation of the 'Little Five Elements Sword Technique', has caused his entire demeanor to undergo a complete transformation. Although he suppresses his aura to around the ninth level of Qi Refining (to avoid being too conspicuous), that steadiness and confidence still make some sharp-perceiving Disciples in the vicinity cast side-glances.

"Look, that's 'Mad Blade' Zhan Hu! It is said that he has already stepped half a foot into Qi Refining Great Perfection, and is a hot favorite for the top ten this time!"

"Fairy 'Cold Moon' has also come! So beautiful, and so cold..."

"Senior Brother Zhou Zihao is there! He is the nephew of Elder Zhou of the Inner Sect, it is said that he has already prepared a foundation establishment pill, and this Grand Competition is just to fight for the spot of a True Disciple!"

"..."

Exclamations and discussions are heard from time to time in the crowd, with the focus mostly on those Outer Sect experts who have long been famous. The name Lin Wan, except for a few people who have had dealings with him, is hardly mentioned by anyone. After all, three months ago, he was still recognized as a waste in the Outer Sect.

This is exactly the effect Lin Wan wants. Only by being low-key can one be unexpected.

"Quiet!"

An old and majestic shout, like a thunderclap, exploded over the plaza, instantly suppressing all the noise. An old man in purple robes with a refined face appeared out of thin air on the central main arena. He is the host of this Grand Competition, the Inner Sect's Dharma-Transmitting Elder—Xuan Zhenzi, at the Early Stage of the Golden Core!

The Spiritual Pressure of a Golden Core Immortal Master, even if just a trace emitted unintentionally, made the tens of thousands of Disciples in the audience feel suffocated, instantly falling silent.

"The Outer Sect Grand Competition is a grand event for the Sect to select talents." Xuan Zhenzi's gaze was like lightning, sweeping across the audience, his voice clearly reaching everyone's ears. "The rules are the same as in previous years. The first stage is the Arena Melee. Ten arenas, one hundred people per arena, with a melee lasting for the time it takes for an incense stick to burn. After the incense burns out, there must be no more than ten people standing on the arena. If there are more than ten, everyone will be eliminated, and I will personally select the best performers to advance. If there are fewer than ten, they will advance according to the actual number."

"During the melee, you may injure others, but you must not intentionally kill. Violators will have their cultivation abolished and be expelled from the Sect! You may use Talismans, Magical Artifacts, and Spirit Beasts, but one-time use forbidden items and poisons are prohibited. Those who admit defeat, lose consciousness, or fall out of the arena are eliminated."

"Now, all participating Disciples, use your identity Jade Slips to go to the corresponding arena!"

As Xuan Zhenzi's voice fell, huge light curtains simultaneously appeared above the ten arenas, showing the list and numbers of Disciples assigned to that arena.

Lin Wan took out his identity Jade Slip and injected spiritual power. A number appeared on the slip: Seven-Forty-nine. This meant he was assigned to the seventh arena, number forty-nine.

"Seventh Arena..." Lin Wan looked at the arena to the left of the center and happened to see Zhou Zihao also walking towards the seventh arena. With a faint sneer on his lips, his gaze met Lin Wan's in the air, filled with undisguised killing intent.

"We really were assigned together." Lin Wan sneered in his heart, his expression unchanged, as he parted the crowd and walked towards the seventh arena.

Around the seventh arena, hundreds of people had already gathered. The hundred participating Disciples who were about to take the stage, as well as their friends, family, and fellow Disciples, surrounded the arena tightly. The atmosphere was heavy and murderous, and a faint fluctuation of spiritual power and tension filled the air.

Lin Wan saw a few familiar faces in the crowd, all of whom were Outer Sect experts mentioned in Deacon Li Changfeng's Jade Slip. Besides Zhou Zihao, there was 'Shi Yong' Shi Yong, that burly man who was eight feet tall with knotted muscles, like an Shi Yong, standing with his arms crossed, eyes closed to rest, his aura as steady as a mountain. Another was 'Green Vine' Mu Wanqing, in a green dress, with a beautiful appearance, a verdant vine whip wrapped around her waist, talking in a low voice to a few female Disciples beside her.

As for 'Mad Blade' Zhan Hu, 'Fairy' Cold Moon, and others, they were assigned to other arenas.

"The seventh arena has three Qi Refining ninth-level experts: Zhou Zihao, Shi Yong, and Mu Wanqing. The competition is fierce."

"That Lin Wan is also there? Isn't he that waste? How did he get in?"

"I heard he had a stroke of good luck recently and his cultivation improved a bit, but he must be only at the fourth or fifth level of Qi Refining, right? Is he here to die?"

"..."

Whispers came from around, most of them not optimistic about Lin Wan, even filled with disdain and schadenfreude. Lin Wan turned a deaf ear, silently adjusting his breathing, bringing his state to the best.

"All participating Disciples, take the stage!" Xuan Zhenzi's voice sounded again.

A hundred figures, some leaping, some riding the wind, some walking slowly, ascended the seventh arena one after another. Although the arena was large, standing a hundred people on it made it look crowded. Everyone subconsciously kept their distance from others, vigilantly observing the opponents around them, looking for possible allies or targets to eliminate first.

Lin Wan chose a position near the edge, neither conspicuous nor inconvenient for observing the overall situation. He could feel a few malicious gazes falling on him, one of which was particularly cold and piercing, coming from Zhou Zihao on the other side of the arena.

Around Zhou Zihao, four or five Disciples at the seventh or eighth level of Qi Refining gathered, obviously his supporters or temporary allies. He was whispering something to those people, his eyes glancing at Lin Wan from time to time, full of murderous intent.

"Want to join forces to eliminate me first?" Lin Wan understood in his heart, but he was not panicked. In an arena melee, having more people is not necessarily an advantage; instead, it is easy to become a target for everyone.

"Light the incense!" Xuan Zhenzi ordered.

At the edge of the arena, a thick incense stick was lit, and blue smoke curled up.

"Begin!"

"Boom!"

Almost the moment Xuan Zhenzi's voice fell, the peace on the arena was completely broken! Spiritual power erupted, Sword Qi crisscrossed, Spells roared, and roars and screams intertwined!

The melee had begun!

No one wanted to be beaten passively; everyone wanted to eliminate the weak at the first Opportunity or seize a favorable position. The light of various Spells, Magical Artifacts, and Talismans exploded on the arena, and the scene instantly became chaotic to the extreme.

Lin Wan did not act rashly. His figure was like a ghost, performing 'Floating Light Sweeping Shadow', weaving through the gaps of chaotic attacks, dodging a fireball, two wind blades, and an ice cone. At the same time, he calmly observed the situation in the arena.

Most of the Disciples were fighting on their own or temporarily joining forces with those nearby. But there were also a few small groups, led by core figures, purposefully clearing out the Loose Cultivators around them.

Zhou Zihao's group was one of them. Under Zhou Zihao's command, five Disciples at the seventh or eighth level of Qi Refining formed a simple battle Formation, both offensive and defensive, crashing through the arena like a meat grinder. Wherever they passed, Disciples with weaker cultivation were either injured or disabled, screaming as they fell off the arena. In just a moment, seven or eight people had been cleared by them.

And their target was slowly advancing towards where Lin Wan was.

"Let's start by dealing with this waste to vent Senior Brother Zhou's anger!" A sharp-faced Disciple at the seventh level of Qi Refining grinned, his Flying Sword turning into a stream of light, stabbing directly at Lin Wan's back! At the same time, another person released several wind blades, blocking Lin Wan's space for evasion.

Their cooperation was tacit, obviously premeditated.

However, they underestimated Lin Wan's speed and reaction.

Just at the moment the Flying Sword reached his body, Lin Wan's figure swayed, leaving trails of afterimages in place, while his real body had slipped out from the gap of the wind blades like light smoke, appearing beside the sharp-faced Disciple.

"What?!" The sharp-faced Disciple was shocked and wanted to return the sword to block, but it was too late.

Lin Wan pointed his fingers like a sword, a wisp of pale golden Geng Metal Sword Qi spitting from his fingertips, gently tapping on the Disciple's right wrist holding the sword.

"Crack!"

A crisp sound of bone cracking rang out, accompanied by a shrill scream. The sharp-faced Disciple's wrist was pierced by the Sword Qi, the Flying Sword left his hand, and his entire body was staggered backward by a huge force, knocking over another person behind him. The two rolled into a ball and fell off the edge of the arena.

Clean and neat, disabling one person in one strike!

"Trash! All together!" Zhou Zihao's face sank; he didn't expect Lin Wan to be so tricky. He shouted sharply, and with the remaining four companions, they pounced at the same time! The Blazing Sun Blade was unsheathed, turning into a scorching fiery red blade light, slashing down from the air! Before the blade arrived, the scorching air wave had already rushed towards his face!

The other four, two performed Earth Wall Technique and Vine Technique to restrict Lin Wan's movement; one released ice cones, and one threw out several Talismans, with fireballs and wind blades arriving together!

The five worked together with tacit understanding, sealing all of Lin Wan's retreat paths, wanting to defeat him instantly!

The Disciples fighting around couldn't help but slow down their movements and look over here. Zhou Zihao's group was powerful, and for Lin Wan, this 'waste', to dare to resist and even disable one of them had already attracted the attention of many people.

Facing such a siege, Lin Wan's expression remained unchanged. His footwork was mysterious, and at the critical moment, he flashed through the gap between the earth wall and the vines, while his left hand pinched a Spell, and he whispered: "Vines, rise!"

'Vine Technique' activated! But unlike ordinary vines, the vines he unleashed had a faint pale golden luster flowing on the surface—infused with the toughness of Geng Metal Sword Qi, as well as the vitality of Wood Element Sword Qi!

"Swish, swish, swish!"

Several thick, tough, and thorn-covered vines broke out of the stone, not only blocking the ice cone and Talisman attacks but also counter-entangling the two Disciples who were casting Spells! The vines were extremely fast and extremely tough; the two were caught off guard and instantly tied into rice dumplings, unable to move, and were thrown directly off the arena by the vines!

At the same time, Lin Wan's right hand grasped in the void. His Qinggang Sword was not unsheathed, but a golden Sword Qi condensed as if it were real had already formed at his fingertips, which was the Minor Achievement of Gold Element Sword Qi! He pointed a finger at the incoming Blazing Sun Blade light!

"Chi!"

The golden Sword Qi was like a needle against a wheat awn, precisely hitting the weakest point of the blade light! Gold overcomes Fire! With the support of attribute restraint and the embryonic form of Sword Intent, the golden Sword Qi broke through the bamboo, instantly defeating the fiery red blade light, its momentum undiminished, stabbing directly at Zhou Zihao's face!

"What?!" Zhou Zihao was horrified. His full-power blade was actually defeated by the opponent's casual Sword Qi? How is this possible?! In his haste, he had to block horizontally with his blade.

"Clang!"

The Sword Qi hit the Blazing Sun Blade, emitting a deafening sound of gold and iron! Zhou Zihao felt a huge force coming, his tiger's mouth cracked, the Blazing Sun Blade almost left his hand, and his whole body was shaken back seven or eight steps, his blood surging, his face turning red and then white.

As for Lin Wan, he was still standing in the same place, his robes hunting in the wind, spotless. From the siege of Zhou Zihao's five people to defeating four of them and forcing back Zhou Zihao himself, it was only a matter of a few breaths!

The whole arena was silent.

Whether on the arena or off the arena, everyone was dumbfounded watching this scene.

Zhou Zihao, at the Peak of the ninth level of Qi Refining, holding the High Grade Magical Artifact Blazing Sun Blade, was famous in the Outer Sect. And Lin Wan, three months ago, was still a waste at the first level of Qi Refining. At this moment, he actually crushed Zhou Zihao's five-person siege with an overwhelming posture, disabled four people, and forced back Zhou Zihao himself?!

This simply subverted everyone's cognition!

"He is not at the fourth or fifth level of Qi Refining! At least the eighth level, no, the ninth level!"

"That was just now... Sword Qi?! He has mastered Sword Qi?!"

"What terrible strength! What exquisite control!"

"..."

After a brief silence, there was an even more intense uproar. Everyone re-examined the young man in green standing at the edge of the arena with a calm face.

"You... you hid your cultivation!" Zhou Zihao stabilized his figure, shocked and angry, staring at Lin Wan, his eyes full of disbelief and resentment, "You have been hiding your strength, deliberately showing weakness, just for today?!"

"So what if I am?" Lin Wan said lightly, for the first time in public, no longer hiding his Qi Refining Great Perfection cultivation! A majestic and solid Spiritual Pressure was slowly released, covering a small half of the arena!

Qi Refining Great Perfection! And it is a Great Perfection with an extremely solid Foundation and extremely pure spiritual power!

"Qi Refining Great Perfection?!" Zhou Zihao's pupils contracted, and a stormy sea churned in his heart. Three months, from the first level of Qi Refining to Great Perfection? How is this possible?! Even a Heavenly Spiritual Root cannot be so fast! Unless... unless the Opportunity he obtained is far beyond imagination!

Jealousy, greed, and killing intent instantly filled Zhou Zihao's heart. This son must not be left alive! He must have a huge secret! If it can be taken...

"Even if you are at Qi Refining Great Perfection, so what!" Zhou Zihao forcibly suppressed the horror in his heart and roared, "I am a Gold-Fire Dual Spiritual Root, holding a High Grade Magical Artifact, and I Cultivate the Yellow Rank High Grade Cultivation Technique 'Burning Gold Technique'! You, a Four Spiritual Root waste, what do you have to fight me with!"

He no longer reserved anything, fully operating the 'Burning Gold Technique', and burning golden-red flames ignited on the Blazing Sun Blade, the scorching air waves making the surrounding air distort. His figure rose violently, turning into a fiery meteor, the blade light like a ribbon, with the power to burn gold and melt iron, slashing towards Lin Wan again! This time, it was a full-power explosion, without any reservation!

"Burning Gold—Slash!"

The fiery blade light expanded against the wind, turning into a three-zhang giant blade, completely covering Lin Wan! This strike had faintly touched the threshold of the Foundation Establishment Stage, and its power was astonishing!

"It's Senior Brother Zhou's ultimate move! He once used this blade to severely injure a Senior Brother at Qi Refining Great Perfection!"

"That Lin Wan is in danger!"

However, facing this astonishing strike, Lin Wan just raised his eyes slightly, a flash of disappointment in his eyes.

"All show and no substance."

He pointed his right hand like a sword and drew in the void. This time, it was no longer a single Gold Element Sword Qi, but Gold, Water, and Wood three-colored Sword Qi intertwined, turning into a mysterious three-colored rotating sword wheel, facing the fiery giant blade!

'Little Five Elements Sword Technique' first layer—Three Talents Sword Wheel! Although it was only a preliminary Fusion, it already contained a trace of the mystery of the Five Elements mutual generation and restraint.

Gold generates Water, Water generates Wood. The three-element Sword Qi circulated, and the power was superimposed layer by layer!

"Chi—!"

There was no earth-shattering explosion. The moment the three-colored sword wheel came into contact with the fiery giant blade, it was like a hot knife cutting butter, silently slicing it from the middle! The fiery giant blade split in half from the middle, turning into sparks all over the sky and dissipating!

And the three-colored sword wheel continued unabated, drawing an arcane trajectory, sweeping across Zhou Zihao's body.

Zhou Zihao's forward momentum suddenly stiffened, and the ferocity and killing intent on his face solidified. He lowered his head and looked at his chest.

A blood line as thin as a hair spread from his forehead, bridge of his nose, chest, and abdomen, all the way down.

"Im... pos... sible..." He spat out a few words with difficulty, his eyes filled with endless fear, unwillingness, and confusion.

The next moment, the blood line burst open, and blood sprayed! Zhou Zihao's body split in two from the middle and crashed to the ground! The Fierce Sun Blade fell to the ground with a clatter, its flames extinguished.

Silence.

Deathly silence.

On the arena, off the arena, everyone seemed to have been grabbed by the throat, unable to make a sound. There was only the slight crackling of the burning incense and the flapping of flags in the wind.

Zhou Zihao was dead.

Killed instantly by Lin Wan in one move.

And it was done in such a bizarre, shocking way—the three-colored sword wheel had lightly sliced open Zhou Zihao's ultimate move, and sliced open his body as well.

Until Zhou Zihao's corpse was teleported out by the arena's Formation (the tournament rules forbade killing, but that strike was too fast for the Formation to intervene), the crowd finally woke from their dream, and the sound of gasping echoed one after another.

"Dead, dead? Senior Brother Zhou is dead?!"

"What kind of Sword Technique was that? Never seen it before!"

"Three-colored Sword Qi... Five Elements Sword Qi? Could it be that he has cultivated the legendary Little Five Elements Sword Technique?"

"Qi Refining Great Perfection... killing an equal rank with one sword... is this Lin Wan a monster?!"

Shock, fear, awe, curiosity... all kinds of gazes fell upon Lin Wan. At this moment, no one dared to look at him as trash anymore. He stood there like a peerless divine weapon just unsheathed, sharp and unyielding, making people afraid to look directly at him.

Even "Shi Yong" Shi Yong, who had been resting with his eyes closed, opened his eyes, a flash of solemnity in his copper-bell-sized eyes. On the other side, "Green Vine" Mu Wanqing opened her beautiful eyes wide, staring fixedly at Lin Wan, as if trying to see through him.

Lin Wan's expression was calm, as if he had just done a trivial thing. He raised his hand and summoned the fallen Fierce Sun Blade into his hand. The blade was still warm, but its spirituality was lost (the master had died, so the Magical Artifact automatically sealed itself). This was a High Grade Tier 1 fire-attribute Magical Artifact, which just happened to make up for his lack of a fire Spiritual Root, and might come in handy for cultivating fire-attribute Sword Qi in the future.

After putting away the Fierce Sun Blade, Lin Wan scanned the arena. Every Disciple whose gaze he met felt a chill in their heart and subconsciously took half a step back, fearing this fierce star would target them next.

After this battle, the situation on the Seventh Arena was clear. The terrifying strength Lin Wan displayed was enough to deter the entire field. No one dared to attack him easily, and they even subconsciously avoided his area.

The melee continued, but the intensity dropped significantly. The remaining Disciples were mostly tacitly clearing out weaker or injured opponents, vying for the limited ten spots. And the area where Lin Wan was had formed a strange vacuum zone where no one dared to approach.

The time for one stick of incense passed quickly.

"Time is up! The incense is finished!" Xuan Zhenzi's voice rang out.

The incense at the edge of the arena had just burned out its last wisp of blue smoke.

On the Seventh Arena, only nine Disciples remained standing. Besides Lin Wan, Shi Yong, and Mu Wanqing, there were six other Disciples at the eighth or ninth level of Qi Refining, all injured, with unstable auras, looking at Lin Wan with awe and relief—thankfully they hadn't provoked this fierce star earlier.

"Seventh Arena, nine qualifiers: Lin Wan, Shi Yong, Mu Wanqing, Zhao Wuji, Qian Feng, Sun Hai, Li Mo, Wang Hao, Zheng Kun." Xuan Zhenzi announced the results, his gaze lingering on Lin Wan for a moment, seemingly interested in this dark horse that had suddenly emerged.

Lin Wan's expression remained unchanged; he bowed to Xuan Zhenzi from a distance and then flew off the arena.

Once off the arena, several gazes locked onto him. There was curiosity, inquiry, wariness, and also... killing intent.

Lin Wan could feel a cold, biting, and resentful gaze staring at him from somewhere in the stands like a venomous snake. That was Inner Sect Deacon Zhao Kun! Zhou Zihao's uncle! His nephew had been killed in public, how could he not hate him?

But the tournament rules stated that one was responsible for their own life and death. As long as it wasn't deliberate torture, the Sect would not pursue it. No matter how much Deacon Zhao Kun hated him, he dared not act openly at this moment.

Lin Wan ignored those gazes, walked to the edge of the plaza, found a quiet corner, sat cross-legged, and adjusted his breath to recover. The previous battle looked easy, but it had actually consumed nearly thirty percent of his spiritual power, especially the final Three-Talent Sword Wheel, which required extremely high Divine Sense and control.

"Lin Wan from the Seventh Arena? Interesting." On the central main arena, Xuan Zhenzi stroked his beard and whispered to an Elder beside him.

"Five Elements Sword Qi? It seems so, yet not quite; it should be some profound remnant of a Sword Technique. This child has quite an Opportunity." The Elder nodded as well.

"His Heart-Nature is also good, decisive in killing, yet not arrogant. He is a good seedling."

"Let's see his subsequent performance. Zhou Zihao is dead, and as for Deacon Zhao Kun..."

"The rules are the rules; what can he do?"

The low conversation of the Elders was naturally unheard by Lin Wan. He was currently closing his eyes and focusing, reviewing the battle just now in his mind.

"The Three-Talent Sword Wheel is powerful, but it consumes a lot. And my understanding of the Five Elements mutual generation and restriction is still too shallow; it's only a preliminary Fusion, far from unleashing its true power. If it were a complete Five Elements Sword Qi cycle, the power could at least be increased several times..."

"Zhou Zihao was not weak, but he relied too much on Magical Artifacts and Cultivation Techniques; his own Foundation was flimsy, and his understanding of power remained on the surface. Killing him was not difficult."

"The next selection is a one-on-one elimination tournament, and the opponents will only be stronger. Need to be more cautious."

As he was thinking, he suddenly felt someone approaching.

Opening his eyes, he saw a tall, sturdy man like an Shi Yong with dark skin standing in front of him; it was "Shi Yong" Shi Yong.

"Junior Brother Lin, good skills." Shi Yong's voice was loud and clear, carrying a touch of simple honesty, "That three-colored Sword Qi earlier, powerful! Old Shi admires you!"

Lin Wan stood up and cupped his hands: "Senior Brother Shi, you flatter me, it was just luck."

"Hehe, Junior Brother, don't be humble." Shi Yong grinned, revealing two rows of white teeth, "Old Shi is a rough man, I just like dealing with capable people. If Junior Brother doesn't mind, let's be friends. After the tournament, we can have a spar if there's a chance."

Lin Wan was a bit surprised. Shi Yong had quite a reputation in the Outer Sect, known for his formidable defense and straightforward personality. He didn't expect him to take the initiative to make friends.

"It would be Lin's honor to spar with Senior Brother Shi." Lin Wan nodded. Having one more friend was better than having one more enemy. Especially someone like Shi Yong, who had strong strength and a relatively simple background.

"Haha, good! Then it's settled!" Shi Yong patted Lin Wan on the shoulder (the force was not small, but Lin Wan didn't budge), and left satisfied.

Just after Shi Yong left, another graceful figure arrived.

In a green dress, with a slender figure, it was "Green Vine" Mu Wanqing. She looked at Lin Wan with her beautiful eyes, filled with curiosity and inquiry: "The Vine Technique Junior Brother used earlier seems different from the usual. It contains the sharpness of metal and the toughness of vegetation; I wonder what kind of wonderful method it is?"

So she was interested in the Vine Technique. Lin Wan understood; Mu Wanqing specialized in wood-attribute Cultivation Techniques, so she was naturally sensitive to Spells like the Vine Technique.

"Just some shallow Fusion techniques, don't let Senior Sister Mu laugh at me." Lin Wan said vaguely. He naturally wouldn't reveal the secret of the Little Five Elements Sword Technique.

Mu Wanqing looked at him deeply and smiled charmingly: "Junior Brother is too modest. I look forward to sparring with you on wood-attribute Spells in the subsequent competitions."

With that, she left gracefully.

The initiative of two Outer Sect experts to make friends made the surrounding Disciples who were paying attention to Lin Wan look at him even more. This former trash had now vaguely become one of the top members of the Outer Sect.

Lin Wan sat back down and continued to adjust his breath. He knew that the real test was still to come.

The first stage of the melee ended, and ninety-three people qualified from the ten arenas. These ninety-three people would enter the second stage of the elimination tournament.

Half an hour later, all qualified Disciples gathered again in the center of the plaza.

Xuan Zhenzi hovered in mid-air and said loudly: "The first stage is over, with ninety-three qualifiers. The second stage is the elimination tournament. Draw lots to determine opponents, fight in pairs, winners advance, losers are eliminated. Until the top sixteen are decided."

"Now, begin drawing lots!"

A huge jade stele rose, and the names of ninety-three people appeared on it. The light on the jade stele flowed, and the names began to pair up randomly.

A moment later, the pairing was complete.

Lin Wan looked at the jade stele and found his name.

"Lin Wan, against Sun Hai."

Sun Hai was one of the six qualifiers from the Seventh Arena, at the eighth level of Qi Refining, specializing in earth-attribute Cultivation Techniques, with not-weak defense. In the previous melee, his performance was average, and luck played a big part in his qualification.

"Good luck." Lin Wan thought to himself. Meeting a relatively weak opponent in the first round could save stamina and allow him to observe the methods of other strong contenders.

The arenas for the elimination tournament were changed to ten slightly smaller arenas, with competitions held simultaneously.

Lin Wan was assigned to the third arena, and his opponent, Sun Hai, had already stepped onto the stage first. He was a sturdy, sallow-faced young man, and his face turned bitter when he saw Lin Wan step onto the stage. Having witnessed the power of Lin Wan killing Zhou Zihao, he knew he had no chance of winning.

"Senior Brother Lin, please enlighten me." Sun Hai cupped his hands, his posture very low.

"Senior Brother Sun, please." Lin Wan returned the salute.

"The competition begins!" the referee Elder ordered.

Sun Hai dared not be negligent and immediately cast a defensive Spell; a thick earth-yellow light shield covered him, and at the same time, an earth-yellow shield Magical Artifact appeared in his hand, ready for battle. Clearly, he had made up his mind to defend with all his might, trying to hold on for a few more moves so he wouldn't lose too ugly.

Lin Wan shook his head. This kind of turtle-shell tactic might be effective against ordinary opponents, but in front of him, it was like a decoration.

He pointed with his fingers, and a pale golden Metal-attribute Sword Qi shot out, fast as lightning, piercing directly at a spot on the earth-yellow light shield.

"Puff!"

The light shield broke upon impact. The Sword Qi didn't lose its momentum and hit the shield.

"Clang!"

The shield shook violently, and Sun Hai felt an irresistible force coming, his tiger's mouth cracked, the shield flew out of his hand, and his whole person was shaken and staggered back, sitting on the ground with a pale face.

"I admit defeat!" Sun Hai shouted quickly.

"Lin Wan, wins." the referee Elder announced.

From start to finish, it took no more than three breaths. Lin Wan didn't even move a step.

Clean and neat, it shocked many people again.

"This Lin Wan is ridiculously strong!"

"Sun Hai is at least at the eighth level of Qi Refining, but in front of him, he's like paper."

"Looks like the top ten is stable, maybe he can compete for the top five!"

Amidst the discussions of the crowd, Lin Wan stepped down calmly and continued to pay attention to the competitions on other arenas. Especially the few opponents he had noted.

"Mad Blade" Zhan Hu's opponent was a ninth-level Qi Refining Sword Cultivator. The two fought for dozens of rounds, and Zhan Hu finally broke the opponent's defense with a move called "Mad Demon Slash," winning narrowly. His blade technique was indeed violent, but lacked variety and was easily countered.

"Ice Fairy" Cold Moon's opponent was much unluckier, being frozen into an ice sculpture by her "Ice Seal of a Thousand Li," winning easily. The advantage of the mutated Ice Spiritual Root was displayed vividly, with both range control and instant burst being extremely strong.

"Ghost Shadow" Mo Qi's competition was the most bizarre; his opponent was a ninth-level Qi Refining Body Cultivator with extremely strong defense. But Mo Qi's movement technique was ghostly, and every attack appeared from an incredible angle, attacking vital points. Within ten moves, the Body Cultivator was covered in blood and had to admit defeat.

"Shi Yong" Shi Yong's competition was simple and rough. His opponent was a ninth-level Qi Refining fire-attribute Spell Cultivator who bombarded him with fire-attribute Spells, but Shi Yong didn't dodge or evade, his whole body shining with golden light, hard-carrying the attacks step by step, and then smashed the opponent's protective spiritual light with one punch, winning.

"Illusion Butterfly" Hua Xiangrong's opponent danced wildly on the stage, looking insane, and finally jumped off the arena himself, which was chilling.

"Golden Bell" Lu Ming also won by defense; his opponent attacked wildly for half an hour but failed to break his "Golden Bell Shield," and ran out of spiritual power, admitting defeat.

The first round of the elimination tournament ended quickly, and ninety-three people were reduced to forty-seven (one person had a bye).

Immediately after was the second round of drawing lots. Lin Wan's opponent this time was a ninth-level Qi Refining wind-attribute Cultivator who excelled in speed. But in front of his "Floating Light Sweeping Shadow" and Major Achievement Sword Technique, the speed advantage was gone, and he was defeated in three moves as well.

Two easy victories, and the overwhelming strength Lin Wan displayed made him the biggest dark horse of this tournament and one of the most watched people.

The sky grew dark, and the third and fourth rounds of the elimination tournament would continue the next day until the top sixteen were decided.

Lin Wan returned home, and Liu Ruyan and Xiao Yun had been waiting for a long time. Seeing him return safely, they both breathed a sigh of relief. They had already heard about the grandeur of today's tournament from other Disciples, especially the shocking news of Lin Wan killing Zhou Zihao with one sword.

"Senior Brother, are you okay?" Liu Ruyan pulled him and looked him up and down. Although she knew he was strong, she couldn't help but worry.

"I'm fine, the opponents weren't strong." Lin Wan smiled and gently stroked her bulging belly, "Is the baby well today?"

"Very well, just moving more than before. Maybe it knows that Daddy is showing off his Divine Might." Liu Ruyan's face was filled with the radiance of happiness.

Xiao Yun was also chattering about the rumors she had heard on the side, admiring Lin Wan immensely.

After dinner, Lin Wan returned to the cultivation room to continue adjusting his breath and studying the characteristics of the opponents he observed today.

"Zhan Hu's blade technique is violent but lacks agility; one can win with speed or by overcoming hardness with softness."

"Cold Moon's ice-attribute Spells have a large range and strong control; one needs close-quarters combat and cannot give her the chance to cast large-scale Spells."

"Mo Qi's movement technique is strange; one needs to control motion with stillness, or use area-of-effect attacks to restrict his movement."

"Shi Yong's defense is extremely strong, but speed is a weakness; one needs to find the weak point of his defense or break through from the inside."

"Hua Xiangrong's illusion technique is impossible to guard against; one needs to guard the heart and mind, or use thunderous means to end the battle quickly."

"Lu Ming's 'Golden Bell Shield' is similar to Shi Yong's, but focuses more on all-around defense, with fewer openings; one needs to break the surface with a single point, or use attribute restraint..."

The characteristics and pros and cons of each opponent flashed through Lin Wan's mind, and corresponding strategies gradually took shape.

He had a premonition that tomorrow's battle would definitely not be easy. None of those who could make it this far were weak. Moreover, as he revealed more and more strength, he would likely attract more targeting.

"Soldiers come to block, water comes to cover." Lin Wan closed his eyes and entered deep meditation.

Tomorrow would be the key battle to decide the top sixteen.

And he would definitely move forward all the way, unstoppable.